Toss Family Odyssey
by Brendan Aurabolt
Summary: Sorry for making everyone wait so long. These chapters take awhile to write and it's surpassed Pokemon World War in terms of how many words are in it. Sequel Coming Next Month!
1. Chapter 1: Getting Into the Game

Ted's Odyssey

Rated: Teen

Genre: Action/Adventure, Humor

Summary: Mark Anthony's latest invention gets everyone sucked inside the Tales of Symphonia world! This leads to an epic adventure in that spans across Sylverant and Tethe'alla.

A/N: YEAH! World Heroes may be pushed back a year but I still wanted to do this little thing. Take note—this version of Ted and Co. is from Fictionpress. You might want to read up there to know more about 'em!

WARNING: Plot Spoilers abound!

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Chapter 1: Getting Into the Game

---

"Well, Mark Anthony seems rather thrilled today." Terra noted when I walked in the door.

"I take it he got the 'package' I sent him, then." I replied with a gin.

"What package?" Terra asked. "It looked more like a DVD or…"

"Say it." I said without trying to laugh.

"Don't tell me you sent him a Video Game!" She asked in shock.

"Tales of Symphonia, in fact." I replied. "It's said to have over 30 hours of game play in it. I beat it in twelve once."

"So that's why he played it the other night without stopping!" She roared. "He got sick and missed school doing that!"

"It can't be helped." I replied. "We both agreed He should be doing college, seeing as keeping him back because of his age just slows him down."

"Still, but—" She started.

"I did it!" We both heard. Footsteps followed and Mark Anthony made himself appear. "I just beat the game in SIX—Dad! Mom! What a surprise!"

"And we were just talking about you." Terra said as she gave me a look. "And since you've finally finished that game perhaps you focus on catching up in school—you still have to go to school, you know."

"I know, but it's too easy there." He replied. "It's bad enough I have to correct the teachers on stuff."

"I'm pretty sure I asked you not to do that." I said. "Teachers don't really like it when their students do that."

"Hey guys, we're here!" I Fin say as the front door opened. With him were Gina, Ted Jr., Hannah, Ted III, Celes, Monet, Alex and Aeris.

"Hope you don't mind my inviting them." Katrin said as she, Midas and their nine kids brought up the rear. "It's just that we've never been to Seattle before."

"Ann, Angel, the twins and I could stay at a hotel." I suggested.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of room." Mark Anthony replied. "I had some of my robots build extra rooms below the basement. Not only that, the land is Quake-Proof!"

"I'll believe that when I see it." Ann replied.

"Wait, where's Julie, Tom and the others?" asked Terra.

"They're a bit delayed." I replied. "Tom insisted on staying in a Hotel so they're probably driving around the city."

---

Later in the day I finally got dad to come upstairs and play video games. Most would find it weird to play video games with their folks by my dad was pretty cool about it. After going through about half my games I popped in Tales of Symphonia. When he saw the finish time he gave a low whistle.

"Not bad." He remarked. "No doubt you had to skip a lot to get through it that fast."

"It's not like it was my first time playing it—I beat it five times." I replied.

"Sixteen as of last night," He retorted. "Four of them with an under leveled 10 party."

"Looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do…" I trailed.

"If you want, I'll help you up to a certain point." He offered.

"Which point?" I asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Whenever it is your mother calls for me." He replied with a grin. I powered on my Gamecube and loaded the file. After making my grade shop choices the game began:

_Once upon a time, there existed a giant tree that was the source of mana. A war, however, caused this tree to wither away, and a hero's life was sacrificed in order to take its place. Grieving over the loss, the goddess disappeared unto the heavens. The goddess left the angels with this edict: "You must wake me, for if I should sleep, the world shall be destroyed." The angels bore the Chosen One, who headed towards the tower that reached up unto the heavens. And that marked the beginning of the regeneration of the world..._

---

"Hmm? That's weird." I said when I noticed my sword glowing.

"What?" Fin asked.

"I don't know why but it's glowing for some reason." I replied.

"Why don't you ask my dad?" Katrin suggested. "He might know." She led the way upstairs to Mark Anthony's room where Ted was last seen. As soon as I walked into the room I spotted Abyssion in the window and unsheathed my sword.

"What the...!" I heard Ted say before everything went white.

---

"Ouch…" I heard Mark Anthony say. When I looked I noticed that we were no longer in Seattle.

"Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore." Said Hannah as she dusted herself off.

"You've got that right." "Katrin remarked. "Where are we?"

"Iselia, Town of Oracles." I replied. "We're inside Mark's game.

"But how?" He asked. "I saw Abyssion and then poof, we're here!"

"Our swords." I replied as I reached for mine. That's when I noticed a small orb attached to the glove on my right hand.

"What's that?" Katrin asked.

"An Exsphere." Mark Anthony replied when he saw he had one as well. "Looks like we're part of the game. Should I take it off?"

"No." I said. "That goes for you two as well. I know this is just a game but for now I think we should just play along."

"I see." Said Katrin. "Look, I've got the still got my Lance."

"I've got the Lunar Blade as well." Mark Anthony added.

Wait a minute." Hannah said suddenly. "Where's Abyssion? I saw him right before we ended up here."

"That is a good question." I remarked. "Chances are he's in this game too only...somewhere else. I'm sure we'll run into him sooner or later."

"Where did everybody go?" we heard a new voice say. We all turned and saw three kids who looked no older than Celes and Mark Anthony emerge from a building. I recognized them immediately but said nothing.

"Dad, it's—" I covered his mouth before he could finish. Unfortunately that was all he needed to say to get their attention. "Oops."

"You all must be visitors." The boy brandishing two swords said. "Did you happen to see where everyone went?"

"We just got here ourselves." Hannah replied.

"Oh." He replied. "I'm Lloyd, by the way."

"I'm Genis." Said the shorter boy.

"And I'm Colette." Said the girl.

"Oh, there you are." We heard a man say as he approached.

"Father?" Colette asked in surprise.

"Frank, what happened in the village?" Genis asked him.

"_The Renegades, who you think are Desians passed through here on their way to the Temple."_ I said silently. _"From there they intend to wait for you but luckily Kratos shows up and saves your sorry asses."_

"They're hiding." Frank said. "The Desians passed through here on their way to the temple but thankfully no one was hurt."

"But why?" asked Genis. "Iselia has a non-aggression treaty with them!"

"That's cause—" Mark Anthony said before poked him. Everyone including Hannah and Katrin looked at us.

"You'll have to excuse him." I said. "He's thinking out loud."

"I see." Frank replied.

"Father, where's Grandmother?" asked Colette.

"At the temple preparing the ritual." He replied.

"Phaidra's at the temple!" Genis exclaimed. "The Desians are…"

"The priests are with her." Fran replied calmly. "There's no need to worry. Now Colette…"

"I know." She replied bravely. "I promise to fulfill my duty as the chosen."

"Good luck, Colette." He said. "Lloyd, Genis, you two should go home."

"I'm worried about her going to the temple by herself." Said Lloyd. "I'll go with her."

"Me too!" Genis exclaimed.

"If it makes you feel better we can go with them as well." I said.

"Oh?" Frank asked in surprised.

"As you can see, we're armed." I explained. "I can tell you right now that if Lloyd and Genis were to go alone they'd still need some help."

"But…alright." He said. "Thank you for escorting them. Come back to the village if anything happens." After watching him walk away I shot Mark Anthony a look.

"You almost spoiled a major plot hole." I said.

"I know, I'm sorry." He said.

"Just who are you, anyway?" asked Lloyd. "And what do you mean we'd need 'Extra Help'?"

"If we let you go along you'd find out." I said. "I'm Ted, by the way. This is my son Mark Anthony but you can call him Mark. This is also my daughter Katrin and a family friend, Hannah.

"Please to meet you!" Colette chimed.

---

"I know this is going to come as a surprise to you but we know quite a lot about you." I said as we walked to the temple. "All of you, in fact. The think is, we just can't tell you."

"Why not?" asked Genis.

"Dwarven vow #19: Let sleeping dogs lie." Dad replied. The three of them looked at him in surprise.

"You know the Dwarven Vows?" asked Lloyd.

"Most of them, anyway." He replied. "Contrary to what my son just said, at certain times I might just give you a peek at what lies ahead for you."

"Really?" Asked Colette.

"Of course." He said before whispering into her ear. Her reaction afterward made her face go white.

"What did he tell you?" Lloyd asked her.

"Better you don't know." She said, still jarred by whatever Dad just said to her.

"What did you say?" I whispered.

"Only that I knew her purpose as chosen was to die to save the world." He whispered back. When we finally arrived at the temple we could hear the sounds of fighting. As we walked up the winding stairs a priest who looked mortally wounded came down to meet us.

"This looks bad…" Hannah trailed.

"The Desians broke the treaty and are at the temple!" He said. "I'm sorry I won't be able to protect the chosen, Colette…" And with that he breathed his last and fell dead.

"NO!" Genis exclaimed as he and Colette hung their heads mournfully. After helping move the body out of the way, Colette informed us of her next course of action.

"I'm going." She said as she started up the stairs.

"But there are Desians in there!" Genis exclaimed. She stopped a moment and turned around.

"I know, but it's my duty as the chosen to accept the oracle on the Day of Prophecy." She replied. "The rest of you wait here, okay?"

"Lloyd, are you just going to let Colette go by herself?" Genis asked him.

"I'd go but I already know how this is going to turn out." Dad replied.

"Same here." I replied.

"Can I ask what that is?" Lloyd asked us.

"Nope." Dad fired back.

"Whatever Dad decides, I'm ok with." Said Katrin.

"Ditto." Hannah added.

"Well…Colette says she'll be fine by herself." Lloyd started. "I'll wait here."

"I can't believe you, Lloyd!" Genis fumed. "Well, I'm going with Colette!"

"Okay, fine." He caved. "I'll come, too. Besides, I'm worried about the Professor."

---

"Don't forget about us." I said as I followed suit.

"You're coming?" Genis asked in surprise.

"We all are." Mark Anthony said as he, Hannah and Katrin stepped forward.

"Everyone, thanks." Colette said tearfully.

We made our way up to the entrance to the temple in time to see an old woman who was preventing a group of soldiers from entering the temple.

"Where is the chosen?" He asked the old woman. "That's when the woman spotted us by the stairs.

"Colette, RUN!" She exclaimed. This got the attention of the soldiers.

"Lord Botta, there she is!" One of them said. The man who questioned Phaidra turned to face us.

"Chosen, your life is mine." he said emotionless me. From the way he said I could tell he'd killed other chosen in his life time.

"I won't let you Desians get away with anything!" Lloyd said as he drew his swords.

"Desians?" One of the soldiers asked in surprise. He started to laugh, which spread to the rest of the soldiers. When Mark Anthony and I cracked a smirk we earned a look from Colette, Genis and Lloyd.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about how funny he'd think it was when I've run my sword through him." I replied.

"Then die at the hands of the 'Desians' you so hate!" The soldier said. "Get them!" The group then circled us and I unsheathed my sword. Mark Anthony, Hannah and Katrin followed suit. When the first one charged I parried his sword and sliced his chest open. After taking out two more my sword found itself in the chest of the Renegade that spoke before.

"Don't you worry." I said before pulling my sword out of him. "In time Botta will join you." After killing off a considerable number of them a huge Renegade appeared. Of course, keep in mind only Mark Anthony and I knew they were really the Renegades.

"Do not get in our way!" The brute said as he swung his Ball and Chain.

"Whoa!" Mark Anthony said as he barely missed getting hit.

"This guy's tough…" Lloyd breathed in frustration. When the man raised his weapon to strike I saw a flash before watching another man parry the attack. Enter Kratos Aurion.

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"Get out of the way." He replied without looking down, sword at the ready. I signaled the others to stand down. We watched as Kratos dispatched the huge solider almost completely by himself.

"I never thought _you'd_ show up." Botta said to Kratos. Damn…retreat for now!"

"Heh." I said, knowing fully well WHY Botta was upset with Kratos' presence. After Genis and Colette marveled at Kratos' strength and Kratos stuck it to his 'son' we made our way into the temple.

"This place looks huge." Hannah remarked.

"Don't worry, it isn't." Mark Anthony replied.

"Have you been here before?" asked Colette.

"Maybe…" He replied slyly. I shot him another look and then shrugged.

"You know, there's a chance those guys could come back." I said. "Me and my group will wait here and guide the entrance just in case."

"That sounds wise." Kratos remarked.

"Good luck." Colette said as she and the others disappeared down a corridor.

"You don't think they'll really come back, do you?" asked Katrin.

"Of course not." I replied. "While Mark watches for them to come back this way I need to explain to you and Hannah why we know so much about this world…"

"Mind filling me in, too?" Asked a new voice. We turned and saw Fin enter the room.

"How did you get here?" asked Katrin.

"One minute I was in the hallway and the next I was somewhere else." He replied. "I haven't seen Terra, Angel or Alex since I've been here, either."

"Indeed." I said.

---

And so ends chapter 1. I'm sorry if this doesn't seem like much but I'm just getting started. In case you're wondering, other members of the family will appear as the story goes on—some in Tethe'alla. Stay tuned…


	2. Chapter 2: Knowing is Half the Battle!

Ted's Odyssey

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Chapter 2: Knowing is Half the Battle! (**G-I-JOE!**)

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"This is all so weird." Said Katrin once I'd finished. "I never thought I'd find myself in a video game. How do we get out?"

"One would think we'd need to make it to the need of the game." Fin replied. "Still, I can't believe how real this is…"

"That's because it is real." I replied. "Our swords made it so. We probably won't be able to leave until the story has been completed."

"You mean game?" asked Mark Anthony.

"_Story_ sounds more appropriate." I replied. "And we just happen to know how it ends. If our being here would jeopardize it I'm sure we wouldn't be here this long. Still, I don't think we should tell anyone why we know everything that's going to happen."

"Looks like this way is blocked." Said Kratos as he and the others re-entered the room.

"The Sorcerer's Ring can probably open it." Colette suggested. Lloyd tried it and as expected, it opened.

"Is that all it's for?" He said afterwards.

"I knew you'd get bored already." Genis replied. That's when Lloyd noticed we were still there.

"Looks like you've been keeping things under wraps." He commented.

"More or less." Hannah replied. "We'll wait here until you get back."

Soon after they went into the transporter Raine Sage arrived. She was surprised to see us there. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Just a group of travelers guarding the temple entrance." I replied. "The Chosen and her companions are further in."

"I see." She said. "And who might you be?"

"We're travelers who happened to get caught up in things here." said Mark Anthony. "And you?"

"I heard about what happened from Phaidra but it seems everything's under control." She replied. "Sorry to have dragged you along for nothing, Angel."

---

"Angel!" Katrin exclaimed.

"Katrin!" Another voice echoed. We looked and saw that running up the stairs behind Raine was our very own Angel Toss.

"You know each other?" Raine asked in surprise.

"We're family." Angel replied. "Ted here is my dad."

"Well, I'm glad I was able to reunite you with them." Said Raine with a smile. The she turned to Dad. "Another of your daughters by the name of Celes is in the village. If you head back down the trail you should get there in no time."

"Sounds like a plan." He replied. "Come on, everyone. Let's go." Without giving Lloyd and the others another thought we returned to Iselia. When we arrived we found Celes waiting for us in front of the school.

"How did we end up in this place?" She asked.

"I'll explain that later." I replied. "Just don't take off that stone from your hand. It's an Exsphere."

"I know what it is!" She shot back. "I do have the Playstation version of the game at home, after all."

"That saves explaining much, then." Dad replied with a laugh. "Just keep in mind this is the Gamecube version. Not that it matters, of course. Now listen closely. In about ten minutes Kratos and Colette will return to the village. Thirty minutes later Lloyd and Genis will come back. For the time being I think we should split up."

"How come?" Asked Hannah. "If we stayed together we'd be better off."

"And it seems the majority of us don't know this world as well as others." Celes added.

"And that's part of the reason we're splitting up." Dad replied. "Listen. Katrin, Hannah, Fin and I will talk with Kratos and the Mayor of Iselia about joining up with them. In the meantime I want the rest of you to accompany Lloyd and Genis when they get back. After we depart from Dirk's house tonight we'll link up again at the Sylverant Base in the Triet Desert south of here."

"How will we know we'll meet?" Asked Mark Anthony.

"Trust me, you'll know." Dad replied as he looked towards the northern entrance. "I see Kratos and Colette coming now so that our cue to go. Wait, I just remembered one other thing. Two, actually. While we're in the world we will be known as a family of Mercenaries. Kratos passes himself off as one almost the whole game so no one will really care about our lying. The other thing is no matter how much anyone asks, do not reveal the true nature of this world."

"How come?" asked Katrin. "It's just a game."

"All the world's a stage and we're merely players." Fin corrected. "If everyone knew the ending already they wouldn't care of the means to reach it."

"Exactly." Dad concluded. "As for weather to hold back on your powers, I'll leave it up to you. In a life or death situation I think it would be obvious." With that we watched as they walked off to meet up with Kratos and the Chosen of Mana—I mean Sylverant.

After watching all of them enter the Colette's house, Genis and Lloyd arrived. They went into her house but came back out soon after. Colette spoke to them a but before going back inside. As Genis and Lloyd headed our way we decided to move in.

"Looks like you made it back ok." I said as they came into earshot.

"Where did you guys go?" Asked Genis. "If the Professor knew you were with us she might've been gentle."

"I seriously doubt that…" Celes said with a giggle.

"We actually ran into Professor Raine at the temple." I explained. "When we found out a member of the family was sighted in Iselia we came back right away."

"Is that other guy with your dad and Kratos part of the family, too?" asked Genis.

"Yeah, he's the oldest of the Toss Brothers." I replied with a grin.

"And Katrin's the oldest of the Toss Sisters!" Celes and Angel chimed together.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Asked Lloyd. "Are you going with your Dad or were you going to wait here?"

"Actually...we're going to hang with you for awhile." Celes replied. "We talked about it with our dad and he said it's ok with him."

"Fine by me." Lloyd shrugged. "I was just heading home and Genis said something about meeting a friend…"

---

"Looks like everything has been settled, Mr. Toss." Raine said as we left the Brunel residence. "With you four along, I'm sure we'll do just fine."

"Trust me when I say there's nothing for you to worry about." I replied. "Anyone or anything thinking to harm the chosen will die at the end of my sword."

"Before I go further, can I ask you something?" asked Raine.

"Sure." I replied.

"Is it true you know the fully nature of the regeneration journey?" She said it so bluntly I was caught off guard.

"Yes, but might I ask how you found that out?" I replied.

"Colette mentioned to me about you and your younger son knowing a lot of things." She explained. "A lot of things only a few people in this village know."

"There is a saying I know that goes '_knowledge equals power'_." I started. "Yes, it is true that my son and I know a lot about the chosen. And a great deal more." I leaned in a bit closer so as to make sure only she would hear the last part. "The problem is, if anyone of this world knew what we know, Colette's journey would have no purpose."

"I see." She replied, clearly shaken by what I just told her. "Thank you for answering that. I won't ask anymore questions about where you're from but if it's not too much trouble…"

"Don't worry." I replied. "In time we will share with you bits and pieces of our world, where we came from and why we're here." I said. "In the meantime I think we should get ready to go, don't you? We have quite a journey ahead of us."

---

"That was close!" Lloyd exclaimed as we regrouped after dodging the Desians at the Human Ranch in the forest.

"It's all my fault." Said Genis. "If not for me they wouldn't have seen your faces."

"Don't worry about it." Celes replied. "Mark, Lloyd and I took out the ones who saw our faces. As long as we get out of here as quick as possible, no one will know."

"For now, I think we should split up." Said Lloyd. "Genis, you go back with the others to Iselia. I'll head home from here by myself."

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" I asked. "I could go with you if you want."

"I know the forest well." Lloyd replied. "You'll probably just slow me down anyway."

"I see…" I replied, clearly annoyed at his arrogance. "We'll make sure Genis makes it back ok." As Lloyd started up the trail we hiked back to the village. The watchmen were a bit surprised to see Genis with us but let us in anyway. Upon arriving at Genis' house we learned Dad and the others would be spending the night at the schoolhouse. That's where we headed next.

"So, how did it go?" asked Dad.

"Interesting." I replied. "Lloyd's so damned arrogant it's amazing."

"Indeed." Celes added. "What should we do next?"

"Well, we were just about to head over to Lloyd's place when I discovered something cool." Said Fin.

"What's that?" Asked Angel.

"Quick Jump." Dad replied. I started laughing after hearing that.

---

"Ah, just in time." Raine said when she saw us. "We noticed you weren't at the schoolhouse and figured you went ahead of us."

"Something like that," I replied. "Now what happens next…?" As if on cue, Lloyd emerged from the house, embarrassed to find all of us standing there looking at him.

"Please tell me you didn't hear that…" He said although we all knew the answer.

"I'm sorry, Lloyd." Genis apologized. "It's my fault you got in trouble."

"I wouldn't say that much." I said silently. "You'll really feel sorry tomorrow morning, heh, heh…" While Lloyd and Colette talked on the terrace the rest of us looked around.

Actually being in the game I could finally read what Anna's gravesite said:

"_Here lies Anna Irving, a loving mother who died so that her so may live."_

"I knew it!" Mark Anthony exclaimed when I showed him. "This may be the best-kept secret in video game history!"

"I'd say so." I replied. "Considering I can read this world's Angelic Language."

"You can?" Mark Anthony asked in surprise.

"So can Angel and Katrin so far." I added. "I know not why but it may help later on."

"Looks like everyone's ready to go." Said Celes as she came over. "I see you found Anna's gravesite ok."

"We were just talking about the fact Anna's last name is Irving." I said.

"Get out!" She exclaimed. "And I always thought it was—"

"See you tomorrow, then." We heard Lloyd say. Our cue to leave!

---

The next morning I woke up to find Dad, Hannah, Katrin and Fin gone. It seems they left with Colette, Kratos and Raine. I woke up the others and we went to get Genis, just came into the village with Lloyd.

"Looks like some of us other slept." Genis said with a smile when he saw us.

"No, we just noticed our Dad and the others left." I replied.

"No way!" Genis exclaimed. "Why would he leave some of you behind?"

"…" Was all of our reactions. Like we'd tell them, lol!

Instead we followed them to Phaidra's house where Lloyd read the letter Colette left for him. Frank started to explain why it sounded like an obituary but cue the Desians making their presence known to us. We went outside and found the Sage Residence on fire along with a few bodies in the streets.

"Still think this world is fake?" Celes asked Angel. I couldn't help but grin.

"Get back!" We heard a man guarding the schoolhouse say. Then again, there were more Desians setting fire to another house.

"Let's split up and take them down!" Lloyd exclaimed as he and Genis ran for the schoolhouse. Angel, Celes and I took care of the ones having a bit too much fun playing arsonist. The job done we met back up with Lloyd and Genis at the front gates.

Awaiting us there was none other than Forcystus, leader of the Human Ranch in the forest we infiltrated yesterday. "I won't let you Desian bastards hurt anyone else!" Lloyd exclaimed. "How dare you attack the village again?"

"What the hell is he talking about?" one of Forcystus' underlings asked with a look of confusion.

_"The Renegades, no doubt."_ I said to myself. After introducing himself to Lloyd, Genis and the villagers he declared his Judgment upon us all. Genis countered with information that told Forcystus what myself, Celes and Angel already knew: It was the Renegades who tried to kill Colette yesterday.

Of course, Lloyd and Genis were clueless as to what he meant. Forcystus then explained what had brought them here this fine…whatever month this was morning armed for combat. As expected, the Mayor of Iselia was pissed at Lloyd.

"I'm glad Lloyd's taking the full brunt of the blame." Angel whispered.

"Observers spotted kids matching your description as well." Forcystus said, getting my attention. "It's clear from your dress that you're new to this area. A pity you picked a bad time visit this village for your fate will be no different from Lloyd's.

"You've got to be crazy if you think you've got a chance against me." I said as I unsheathed the Lunar Blade. Celes unsheathed her Solar Blade as well.

"Is that so?" The Desian remarked. "Maybe you'll doubt how 'crazy' I am after receiving your punishment!" That's when the mutated version of Marble appeared before us.

"Damn him…" Celes seethed. "I really don't want to do this…" But we did anyway. With a few well-placed blows, the beast—err—Marble was defeated. It wasn't until she blew herself up that Genis and Lloyd realized this.

It was here that I saw the chance to clear out the rest of the Desians but his lackeys formed a shield around him. "You will never know peace so long as you have the Exsphere, Lloyd!" Forcystus said before he and his underlings retreated.

The danger passed, the Mayor unloaded his anger upon us, mostly focused on Lloyd of course. I cringed at the amount of obscenities used. After finally banishing Lloyd and Genis from the village we left with them to catch up with the Chosen and the others. It was here that Lloyd gained the title "Drifting Swordsman."

"Look, there's a House of Salvation." Said Angel. "Maybe someone there say the Chosen's group."

"Maybe…" Genis trailed. "It would be quicker to ask around than wander aimlessly."

"And chances are someone might have seen other members of our family." I said after remembering how I found out about Celes and Angel being in this world. While Genis asked about the chosen I asked if anyone saw other members of the family.

"Sorry, but no." Said the Priest. "I haven't seen anyone unusual around here."

"Thanks anyway." I replied as I headed back outside.

"Did you find out anything?" Celes asked me.

"Nothing." I replied. "Chances are they might be looking for us in similar fashion. Let's just get going." We departed from there and headed right into the desert. After wandering around for three days, I realized I this desert wasn't the kind for eating…

---

Alright, I'm ending there. The group actually splits up again next chapter. Someone's hallucinating and has to sit out the Renegade Base scenes. The next chapter covers the base and the party's return to Triet. Like this one it, too will be lengthy and riddled with plot funny plot holes.

Some of you may have noticed I've started weaving the currently revealed members of the Toss family into the story. There's a reason for that. What is that reason? Hopefully it'll begin to make sense by the time I get to Palmacosta!


	3. Chapter 3: Yuan Gets Owned

Ted's Odyssey

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Chapter 3: Yuan Gets Owned

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A/N: I understand some have been confused up to now but so far I've only done the story from Ted or Mark Anthony's POV. Starting this Chapters I'm adding a few more. Just a quick reminder for those who missed it: Ted and Colette's group left for Triet several hours before Lloyd and Mark Anthony's group was banished from Iselia.

As of the end of last Chapter there are two groups. The Chosen's Group is made of Colette, Raine, Kratos, Ted, Fin, Katrin and Hannah. Lloyd Group is made up of Lloyd, Genis, Mark Anthony, Celes and Angel. Of course things change up this chapter, heh.

This story will be told from the viewpoints of two more people starting this chapter.

---

"It looks like we're all set for the Triet Ruins." Raine commented as we met in the town square. "Kratos and Fin finished loading up on supplies."

"If we've got everything the let's head out." I replied. "We don't want to get caught in a sandstorm like last time."

"I'm sure we'll get there this time." said Colette reassuringly. "We just need to keep a sense of direction—oops!" Somehow she tripped over Raine and landed on Katrin's foot. I could see Katrin trying very hard to not scream.

"Maybe I should scout ahead just to be sure." Hannah suggested. "If anything, I can just come back here."

"I see no harm in that." I replied. "In the meantime we can recheck on where it's supposed to be on the map."

"My foot…" Katrin managed to say when Colette finally got up. "I think it's broken."

"I'm sorry." Colette apologized. "I promise to be more careful."

"One would think Raine would be the one to apologize to as well." Kratos commented. "Considering you tripped over her to begin with."

"Oh, yeah…" Colette replied with her patented 'forgive me?' smile. "Sorry."

"Here, let me heal you." said Raine to Katrin.

"That's ok." She replied. "I can heal, too—Healing Circle!" Raine, Kratos and Colette looked in surprise. Had I not known she was a healer in our world I would've been as surprised.

"HELP!" several voices said in unison. We turned around and saw Genis, Noishe, Angel and Celes running toward us. It looked like they were running from someone.

"Genis!" Raine exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Lloyd and Mark Anthony…" Celes said breathlessly. "They were taken…by Desians…" Of course, knowing the story I knew she meant the Renegades but my reaction would've been no different.

"We've got to rescue them!" Colette exclaimed, beating me to it.

"Yes, but we just sent Hannah in search of the Triet Ruins." Kratos replied.

"It won't do for us to be missing when she returns." I added. "Very well. Celes, I want you and Katrin to wait here in case Hannah gets back before we do. Angel and Genis, show us where they were taken."

---

"Phew, that was close!" Lloyd said after we ducked into an office to avoid detection.

"And just who the hell are you?" We turned and were face to face with a blue-haired man wearing a cape. I recognized him immediately but seeing him in person stunned me into silence. When he raised his hand to fight with Magic all sense of being seemed to return.

"Give me your name and I shall give you mine." Lloyd replied. I couldn't help be smile hearing that.

"You've certainly got guts." The man commented without taking his gaze off of Lloyd. "But…I'm afraid I don't see the need to introduce myself to a miserable little worm like you." The he snapped his head to the right. Crap. "And you with the sword, I know you're there so don't bother." So much for a sneak attack!

"What a coincidence, because I don't see a need to introduce myself either to a moron who doesn't realize how pathetic he is." Lloyd retorted.

"Looks like someone got owned!" I exclaimed.

"Why you little!" the man refuted before charging more power. I took a step back and Lloyd put up his arms in defense. Seeing our exspheres, he stops with the light show. "An exsphere…you're Lloyd!" He exclaimed.

"And what if I am?" Lloyd replied. The man took a step forward to get a better look at us.

"Hmm…I see the resemblance." He commented, obviously referring to the fact that Lloyd was Kratos' son. Not that Lloyd knew that, of course. "As for you…" He said to me. "What are you doing here?"

"What!" I exclaimed. Did Yuan know about me not being from this world? Before I could probe an alarm on the base sounded. It seemed I would have to wait another time to ask questions. Lloyd swung one of his swords but Yuan dodged it with ease. When Botta and two Renegades came in I knew things were about to get interesting.

"It seems the Chosen's Group has infiltrated the facility." Botta reported. Lloyd recognized him from last time when we him at the temple.

"Botta, I'm leaving for now." Said Yuan. "If _he_ sees me our plans will be ruined." Before walking into the next room he left some instructions. Suddenly more Desians entered but luckily so did some backup.

"Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" asked Fin.

"They look fine." Kratos commented.

"You guys all came for us?" I asked.

"Of course." Dad replied. "Don't tell me you thought we'd leave you like that."

"Perfect timing!" Botta exclaimed. "I'll take care of everyone at once!"

---

"I've heard that somewhere before." I said with a smile. While Lloyd, Mark Anthony and the others dealt with the underlings Kratos and I took on Botta ourselves. Kratos even managed to cleave the Half-Elf's weapon in two.

"Had enough yet?" I asked.

"Ugh…I underestimated your abilities, it seems…" He said before making himself scarce. At the same time, Raine and Angel entered the room.

"Isn't this a…?" Raine asked as she examined the broken sword.

"Professor!" Lloyd and Mark exclaimed in unison.

"Ah, right." She replied, regarding our getting kicked out of Iselia.

"Let's save the chitchat for later." Kratos advised. "We shouldn't stay here too long."

After exiting the base Raine questioned Lloyd about Exspheres—it seems one was attached to the weapon she picked up.

"It'll take awhile to explain." Said Kratos. "We can talk about it when we reach Triet."

---

When we got back it seems Celes, Hannah and Katrin were there waiting. That evening, Kratos and Lloyd took turns explaining all they knew about exspheres. When they were done Raine was thoroughly impressed.

"In other words, these Exspheres are amplifiers that awaken our dormant capabilities." She concluded before getting really excited. "I wonder if I can use one, too!"

"That would be difficult without a Key Crest." Kratos replied. Then Colette brought up the idea of making one. Raine dumped her stash of artifacts and Kratos found some inhibitor ore for Lloyd to work with.

"Don't worry, Professor." Lloyd said after examining the ore. "You'll be able to equip that Exsphere tomorrow."

---

"So, did you find the Triet Ruins?" I asked Hannah in our room. We actually shared it with Angel and the Sages but Genis and Angel were asleep and Raine was busy working on something at the desk. The guys slept in a room downstairs and Colette shared her room with Celes.

"I found it." She replied. "It's directly north of here. I'll lead everyone there in the morning. I actually found it pretty quickly."

"Nicely done, I might add." I replied. We stopped when the door opened and Lloyd walked in.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Raine asked him.

"I fixed your Key Crest." He replied.

"Thank you, but you mustn't overexert yourself." She replied. "It's going to be a long journey after all. I don't mind if it takes a while to fix." She took it anyway and they talked for a bit. Afterward all 3 of us looked in surprise as Lloyd pinched Genis' nose.

"Silly boys…" Raine and I said unison.

"Oh, hey Katrin." Lloyd said when he noticed me. "I heard you weren't feeling well earlier. How are you now?"

"I'm getting better." I replied with a smile. "Thanks for asking, though. I'll know to be careful the next time I see Colette about to fall in my direction."

"Oh, I see!" He said with a smile. "I wonder why Fin said you were hallucinating…"

"…" Was my reply, Hannah just as surprised.

"Anyway, good to know you'll be fine Katrin." He said before leaving.

"Excellent…" Raine said as she stared at her new toy. "Simply MARVELOUS!"

---

"Where's Kratos going?" I heard Lloyd say. I peeked out the door in time to see not only Kratos but Dad walk out the door of the Inn. I stepped out of the room and quietly closed the door so as not to wake Colette. I then followed Lloyd following Dad and Kratos in time to see Kratos almost give Lloyd the shortest haircut of his life.

"AHH!" We both exclaimed at the same time.

"Lloyd…" Kratos said as he put away his sword. "I'm sorry to have startled you."

"Startled isn't the word for it!" He exclaimed as he took in what almost happened just now.

"Celes, what are you doing here?" I heard dad say. Busted!

"You'd best not stand behind me." Kratos said to Lloyd, who moved next to him.

"I saw Lloyd follow you two so I thought, why not?" I said after coming out of hiding.

"I see..." Dad replied thoughtfully. "Did you bring your Lunar Blade with you?"

"Always." I replied as I held up the casing. "Wouldn't want to be caught unarmed."

That's good advice." Kratos remarked. "Especially coming from one so young."

"That's because I learned from the best!" I exclaimed. "My dad's the greatest swordsman I know."

"Yes, but only after many years of fighting." He replied. "That and I know my limits. Only a fool would needlessly risk his or her life in combat."

"I see." said Lloyd.

"By the way…" Kratos said as he turned back to Lloyd. The way he was looking at him both me and dad could tell his was looking at him as a father looks at his child. I wondered if my coming outside made him look at Lloyd that way.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Lloyd said, very uncomfortable with how affectionate Kratos was being all of a sudden. Realizing this Kratos changed his demeanor instantly.

"…Your swordsmanship is unrefined." He said. "You should focus a little more on eliminating your vulnerabilities…if you care about your life." With those words the Mercenary turned and walked back to the Inn.

"Just because he's a little better than me, he has to talk like he knows everything!" Lloyd fumed. "Well, maybe a lot better than me--damn!"

"If you want, you can train with Celes." Dad suggested. Both of us looked at him in surprise. "It's true that she inherited some of my sword skills but on this journey I'd like it better if she could hold her own in my absence."

"You want me to spar with your daughter?" Lloyd asked with a look of shock. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea…"

"Maybe you are right." Dad replied. "It is getting very late. When Hannah leads us to the Triet Ruins it won't do for you two to be tired. We'll save it for another day." With that he walked back inside.

"Whew, that was close!" I exclaimed.

"Huh?" was Lloyd's reaction.

"My dad's training sessions are intense beyond reason." I replied. "If not for Colette we'd be training to sunrise right now."

----

Yes, all that was for the Yuan Scene. My favorite scene in the first 20 minutes of the game! Next Chapter is all of the Triet Ruins plus the crew meets Sheena for the first time. Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4: Getting Her Wings

Ted's Odyssey

---

Chapter 4: Getting Her Wings

---

A/N: There's an interesting twist or two in this chapter. I'll not say more than that!

---

"Whew…so hot..." Lloyd huffed.

"Huh?" asked Celes. "Are you talking to me?"

"I think he means this desert." I replied. Noishe gave a whine of concern.

"There are enemies about!" Kratos suddenly exclaimed as he unsheathed his sword. I looked up in time to see a few floating creatures come towards us.

"Taking me on with magic?" I heard Genis say. "Come get some—Air Blade!" With a wave of magic he took out a group of the monsters with wind magic. While me, Kratos, Lloyd, Hannah, Mark Anthony and Fin engaged the monsters directly, the others provided support behind us.

"Only one left!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I've got it!" Angel suddenly exclaimed. "Form a torrential vortex and engulf these evil spirits! Tidal Wave!" The scene suddenly became alive with moving water. Everyone watched else watched in awe as Angel snuffed out the last of our opposition with a single powerful spell.

"That was amazing!" Colette said once the danger passed.

"Could you teach me that?" Genis asked her.

---

"This is going to be a problem…" Kratos muttered to himself.

"Huh?" said Lloyd, who apparently heard him.

"Nothing," Kratos replied. "Anyway, I think it would be a good idea to learn techniques to protect yourselves."

"You mean like self-defense training?" asked Colette.

"Something like that, anyway." Dad replied. "Techniques to raise your defense during battles. We'll show you how it's done."

"Once you grasp the theory, the rest should be easy." Kratos added. Colette and I learned how to use the Damage Guard skill. Mark Anthony, Hannah and Lloyd learned how to use Guardian. Genis, Raine, Angel and Katrin learned how to use Force Field. Fin learned how to use Bastion. It seems Dad knew Damage Guard and Kratos Guardian.

"I can feel stronger already!" Lloyd exclaimed with a grin. "I can't wait to try it out!"

"Are you sure you're not just imagining things?" asked Genis. After a bit of dialogue involving Noishe we approached what looked like the entrance to the ruins.

"I think this is the seal." Said Colette. "It has my family's crest on it."

"Fantastic!" Raine exclaimed. Lloyd and I shared a glance before looking back at Raine. "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly of a different composition than the surrounding stone!"

"Ah, yes." Katrin replied as she joined in. "I see!"

"This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic!" Raine continued. "Oh, feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous!"

"I'll take a sample of it for later study." Katrin commented. "We might be able to use this material for something."

"Is she always like that…?" Kratos asked Genis. He just stood there silently.

"I knew Katrin had a thing for history but this is my first time seeing this." Dad commented.

"Well…is she?" Lloyd asked Genis.

"And I was trying very hard to hide it, too…" He sighed. Raine then gained the title "Archeological Manic". Katrin gained the title "Lady Geologist". As they read the stone Raine suggested Colette touch the panel to open the way for us. Lo and behold, it worked.

"It opened!" Colette beamed. "Wow! I guess I'm really the Chosen after all!"

"Yes, I think we know that already." Genis replied sternly.

"Okay, now it's getting exciting!" Mark Anthony exclaimed.

"Let's hurry up and go inside!" Lloyd added.

"I hope you two can maintain that enthusiasm." Said Kratos as we entered.

---

The inside was truly something else. As we explored the cavern we discovered that by using the Sorcerer's Ring would be able to light torches to open the way to the seal. Since Lloyd was wearing it we elected to have him go with Mark Anthony, Celes, Dad, Raine and Genis so they could open the way forward. The rest of us would wait in the outer hallway and guard Colette.

"Look, a treasure chest!" Colette suddenly exclaimed. "Let's see what's inside!" When she reached forward to open it the box sudden leaped forward in attack. It almost took her arm off.

"It's a fake!" Kratos exclaimed. "This is a dangerous situation."

"Let's take it out!" I said as I readied my Lance. "Light Spear!" With charged with holy energy I struck the monster in the face and it staggered back. "So that's the weakness…"

"Angel!" Hannah urged.

"Already on it!" she exclaimed. "Ray!" She blasted the monster with so much magic that it was vaporized, leaving only a Miracle Potion.

"Looks like it hand an item after all." I said. "Let this be a lesson to you, Colette."

"Yeah." She replied. "Next time, I'll make sure to bring the hungry treasure box some food to eat!" The rest of us sighed in annoyance.

"Let's just not let you open any more boxes." Said Fin. "It would really suck if you were eaten by one of those things."

---

"Everyone, we've opened the way!" Said Mark Anthony as we came into the hallway. "Let's go!" Everyone followed us up a few ramps to a transporter. Upon entering it we were taken to a room with a seal like the one at the Temple outside Iselia.

"This place is also built with magitechnology!" Raine exclaimed. "Absolutely fantastic!"

"What's THAT!" Genis exclaimed as we neared the seal. It seemed to have reacted to our presence, for a Ktugach and 2 Ktugachlings emerged from it.

"Here, fire kitty…" I said with a grin.

"Dad!" Fin and Katrin exclaimed in unison.

"Let's take them out!" Celes exclaimed.

"There may be more of us than them but don't get careless." Said Kratos. "I think it would be wise for Raine, Genis, Angel and Katrin to stay to the rear."

"Good idea." Said Mark Anthony. "Me, Colette and Celes will cover the rear while the rest of you are on point!"

"I'll be mad if you let those red cats get too close." Genis warned.

With a bit of teamwork we managed to take down the cats. With Katrin and Raine on healing duty everyone was kept safe and burn-free. When all opposition was finally eliminated the seal reacted again.

---

"You, the Chosen of Regeneration." A voice said. "Offer your prayers at the altar."

"…Yes, my lord." Colette replied as she drew closer. She fell to her knees and began her prayer.

"Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!" She pleaded. There was a sudden flash of light and an angel appeared. Remiel, no doubt.

"Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well." He said to Colette.

"Thank you…Father…" was her reply.

"The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released." He decreed. "Efreet will surely awaken soon." "In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels."

"Thank you, my lord." Was Colette's reply. We watched as Colette rose into the air. Energy from the broken seal poured into her and translucent wings sprouted from her back.

"Whoa…" Lloyd trailed.

"They've got wings…" Said Mark Anthony.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain." Said Remiel "Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure."

"I humbly accept this trial." Colette replied.

"The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea." Remiel informed us. "Offer your prayers at that altar." With that he made his leave of us, bidding farewell to Colette. She then descended to the ground.

"Colette…has wings!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"And Celes!" Angel added.

"What!" I exclaimed. I turned and saw that like Colette I was now sporting a pair of translucent of wings. "How is this possible!"

---

"That is a good question." I replied, a hint of concern. "Only Colette is the Chosen of Sylverant. How is it you're changing, too?"

"You don't think…?" Hannah asked.

"It's the only possible explanation." I replied. "I've no doubt someone else may have undergone the same in—"

"What?" asked Genis with a look of confusion.

"Nothing." I replied. "We were just thinking of how it could be possible for Colette to be changing as well. At least we know that Cruxis Crystal around her neck isn't for show."

"Look, I can put them away!" Colette exclaimed. We watched as she made her wings vanish. "Celes, why don't you try?"

"Ok." She said. We watched in surprise as she made hers disappear as well. Genis and Angel were thrilled as Colette and Celes put on a show for them.

He said the next place is across the sea!" Lloyd exclaimed. "That means we get to sail on a ship! Ha, ha, I can't wait!"

"A ship…hmm." Raine said thoughtfully.

"I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now?" asked Katrin.

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find." Kratos suggested. We turned and saw the others were still going at it. After some convincing from Mark Anthony and Lloyd they put away their wings for good. Having done that we decided to make our leave of the place.

---

"I don't…feel so good…" Celes said once we were outside again. Fin caught her before she collapsed to the ground.

"Colette!" Lloyd exclaimed as the chosen fell to her knees. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine…" She managed to say.

"I just need a minute…" Celes answered in similar fashion.

"You don't look fine at all!" Angel exclaimed. Your faces are completely white!

"It's all my fault." Genis said sadly. "I got carried away and kept making them pull their wings in and out."

"I don't think that has anything to do with it…" I replied.

"Now's not the time for that!" Katrin exclaimed. "Their lips are turning purple."

"We must get them to a doctor in the city immediately." Raine urged.

"Wait." Said Dad suddenly.

"It would be best not to move them." Kratos noted.

"But why?" asked Fin.

"Remember the angel's words." He replied. "The angel transformation process requires the chosen to overcome a trial. Rather than taking her to a doctor, it would be best to let her rest here."

"But what about Celes?" Asked Katrin. "She's going through the same thing and she's not the chosen herself!"

"For the time being, let's do as Kratos suggests." Said Dad. "We can talk about it later."

"I'm…okay." Celes breathed. "I'll be fine after a little rest. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble…"

"Hey, don't worry about it." Said Lloyd. "You were suddenly turned into an Angel!"

"I see." She replied. "Well Colette, looks like you and me are going to be in on this…together."

---

That night we were all gathered around the campfire. As Lloyd and Raine pondered over Colette's transformation I decided to speak with a few of the members of my group privately. The first was of course, Celes.

"How about we chat for a little while?" I suggested.

"Sure." She replied as she got up to follow. I noticed Lloyd and Colette talking by the clearing I intended to use so we went to the wall in the opposite direction.

"With this new development, we all now know for sure that we're not immune to the happenings of Sylverant and Tethe'alla." I started. "Obviously, you undergoing the angel transformation is the clincher."

"What's going to happen when we go to the Tower of Salvation?" She asked. "I know what's supposed to happen to Celes but what about me? I'm not the Chosen of Mana! It's not fair!"

"It may be due to the fact that we were added to this world." I replied. "In turn, the world has reacted by weaving us into the storyline. We may know what normally happens but the means and end process may change over time while we're here. Not to mention we don't know who else is in this world. There's a possibility there's others in Tethe'alla."

"I hope my daughters are home." She said quietly. "If they were somewhere in this world I don't know what I'd do."

"All we can do is hope for the best." I replied. "It's getting late. You should get some rest. I know you don't want to hear this from your father but there is nothing I can do until we go to Tethe'alla—the Mana Leaf Herb, Mana Fragments and Zircon cannot be found in Sylverant."

It's ok." She said quietly. "I know you're doing the best you can given the circumstances."

---

"Hmm…so Celes is transforming too." Hannah remarked. "Freaky! I thought only Colette would have to deal with it? What's going on here?"

"You've got me." I replied. "Though now that I remember, Yuan said something that bothered me the other day."

"Mind talking with me about it?" asked Dad, who suddenly appeared.

"I was wondering when you'd ask." I said as I got up.

"Hannah, I want you to come as well." He said.

"If it's ok with you…" She replied. We went to where we saw dad and Celes talking. At least we were out of earshot of everyone else.

"So what was it Yuan said before we arrived?" Dad asked.

"When he saw Lloyd his reaction was exactly what it was supposed to." I started. "When he saw me he asked 'what are you doing in this world?' It was as if he knew I wasn't from the world of Symphonia."

"Chances are he does." Hannah replied. "Remember—Abyssion is somewhere in the world as well."

"He could also be in Tethe'alla." Dad noted. "Or even Derris-Kharlan. In any case, we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that the Renegades aren't the only ones who not only know of our existence here but might ultimately know where we came from."

"Do you think we should tell the others?" I asked, motioning the campfire.

"Not Genis, Colette and Lloyd." Dad replied firmly. "At least…not right now. Raine already knows because I told her. As for Kratos, I'm sure he can tell just by looking at us. We also don't know when and where any other members of our family are."

"That's right." Hannah added. "I just remembered I can use my sword to find the Force Energy of the others."

"And?" I asked. "I don't know where exactly but at least one other person is in a part of Sylverant we haven't been to yet. I don't know why but she's suppressing her energy so I can't identify her…"

"Of those we haven't found yet Terra, Ann-Marie, Alex, Marina and Midas know how to suppress their Force Energy." Said Dad. "Seeing as it's female that leaves Ann, Terra and Marina as the possibilities."

"I just hope they're ok." Hannah replied. "Unlike us they've been alone in this world for quite a bit."

"For now we should concentrate on what we can do for now." I said. "And from what I can tell making sure everything goes as it should is our best bet for making it through everything."

---

The next day we headed for the Ossa Trail. It took us five days to cross the desert. Upon finally reaching the trail we prepared for a winding climb. We had not gone far before a voice from nowhere demanded our attention.

"STOP!" It said. We looked up and had our first meeting with Sheena Fujibayashi, the Summoner from Mizuho! Of course Lloyd and the others wouldn't know her name until later. "Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" She asked in a rather scripted undertone.

"Right here!" Colette exclaimed. "That's me!"

"Not a bad looking one, either." She commented, apparently sizing Colette up to her own figure, a figure that was hot enough to get near-endless Hentai requests from dweebs. "Prepare to die!" With that she bolted forward, prepared to strike.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as Colette suddenly tripped over me. She hit a nearby lever at the exact moment Sheena stepped on it. It opened and well…you know what happened to Sheena next XD

After a bit of brooding on Colette's part and Genis confirming we'd have to do battle with her (he actually said she wasn't killed but you know what I mean) on the other end we went on our merry way. On the top of the trail we met a man wearing a Robe blocking the path.

"Excuse me!" He exclaimed. "I'm trying to find someone. I'm looking for a man wielding a sword with the power to control time. Have any of you seen him? I've been told he recently left Triet and was headed this way."

"Mind if I ask why?" Dad asked the man. Clearly this man knew a lot more than he was letting on.

"Oh…it's YOU!" He exclaimed. "Now that you and your merry band of followers are here, I'll deal with you personally."

"That voice…Abyssion!" Hannah exclaimed.

"That's right." He said before discarding his robe, allowing us to gaze upon his build. "I've been waiting for the chance to duel with you. We will battle right here and right now. The only way past me is through me and believe me—I made sure of that."

---

"If it's a fight you want…" Kratos started as he unsheathed his sword.

"No!" I exclaimed. "Hannah and I will deal with him. "Everyone else, stay back!"

"Why?" asked Lloyd.

"You're going to have to trust them on this." Celes simply replied. "I know Dad wouldn't risk his life unless he knows he can win."

"That remains to be seen." Abyssion said as he unsheathed the Gravity Blade. "Have at thee!" He, Dad and Hannah then charged forward in attack…

---

So everyone knows, there are TWO Abyssions in this story—my OC and the Optional Boss. Both will be featured eventually but the one Ted and Hannah battle obviously isn't the optional boss. As the story goes on you'll learn more about him. Next Chapter is in 2 weeks. If this is up then Chapter VIII of "Making up Lost Time" is up, too!


	5. Chapter 5: The Palmacosta Region

Ted's Odyssey

---

Chapter 5: The Palmacosta Region

---

A/N: I want to give a special thanks to Alaia Skyhawk and DarklightZERO for their input in regards to Chapter 4. The former pointed out a horrible typo I made and the latter pointed out the obvious fact that I haven't provided a back-story on my OCs. To be fair I've decided to shed some light on them starting this chapter so read on…

---

"Prepare to burn!" Abyssion exclaimed as he swung his sword. "Blast Burn!" Hannah and I both managed to dodge as the area were we fighting on started to combust. Hannah jumped across a narrow platform to get close to him. He saw her coming and sent her flying with a Hunting Beast attack. Meanwhile, I was preparing an attack of my own.

"It's time for you to go!" I said. "Hydro Cannon!" With that the area became alive with moving water. It extinguished the flames and caught Abyssion off-guard.

"Payback time!" Hannah exclaimed as she charged forward. "Frenzy Plant!" She held up her sword and several huge vines shot out of the ground and struck Abyssion dead-on. He was so surprised at the double team that he didn't have time to block it. The attacks throttled him into the side of the pass, knocking the wind out of him.

"How…did I just…lose?" He asked as he struggled to his feet. The effort too much, he fell down again.

"Whoa!" Lloyd and Genis exclaimed at the same time.

"What power…" Raine trailed. "I've never seen anything like it…"

"…" was Kratos' reaction as usual.

"If any of you fought him, you'd be dead right now." I said. "Fortunately, Hannah and I have had our share of practice fighting him. That, and only our swords are a match for his."

"Speaking of which…" Hannah said thoughtfully as she eyed Abyssion.

"Don't even think about it!" Abyssion suddenly exclaimed as he jumped up. "You may have won this battle but there are many more in the future." Then he looked directly at Kratos. "As for you, let's just say you-know-who knows everything." Kratos' reaction showed no sign of emotion. Before anyone could reaction, Abyssion jumped down a cliff and disappeared.

"Damn, he got away…" Hannah said as she looked over the cliff.

"It's of little consequence." I replied as I sheathed my sword.

"Kratos?" I heard Lloyd ask. "What's he talking about?"

"We'll talk about it later." I replied, not even giving Kratos the opportunity to make up something. "Let's just get off this trail. As you just saw we'd be at a disadvantage if we were ambushed."

----

When we reached the end of the trail, the sound of a door collapsing pulled our attention to Sheena, who made her debut before the Abyssion fiasco. "Wait!" She huffed.

"Oh, geez…." Said Mark Anthony. "How'd she get here so fast after that fall?"

"Let's just cut to the chase…" Said Fin. "You're here for Colette's life, yes? Well you'll have to go through us to take it!" Begin fight with Sheena, round one. In a two against four match, Sheena's screwed. Add six more to that and you've got over kill.

"Damn…" She wheezed after we took turns beating her half to death. "Just you wait—I swear I'll get you next time!" With that, she made herself vanish.

"Just what the heck is going on?" Asked Lloyd. "Why are people trying to kill us?"

"There are always those who reject salvation." Kratos explained.

"Maybe, but it still doesn't explain that Abyssion character…" Raine said thoughtfully.

"Let's just take this as a warning to be more careful." I said. "Say dad, do you mind if we make a small detour in there?"

"Mind if I ask why?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do." She said. "Now let's go! I want to see if it's really in there!"

---

After a bit of wandering we found Sword Dancer. Damn it, he's even more menacing in PERSON than on TV! Still, we accepted his challenge. Dad and Hannah were exhausted after two consecutive battles so they sat this one out. That ended up not really mattering, as defeated the terrible monster. Afterwards it promised to fight us again later.

"Whew, that was something else!" Lloyd exclaimed after confirming the victory. "I can't wait until we fight it again!"

"You and me both." I replied with a smile. "Say Celes, was that what you wanted to check out?"

"Yeah…." She said as she looked up. "And I wanted to see where Sheena fell in here. We might be able to make use of it at a later time, you know?"

"I don't know about that." Genis replied. "It's not like the trap door is right on the path…."

---

Two days later we arrived in Izood. After agreeing to deliver some mail we got Max the fisherman to give us passage to Palmacosta. At the harbor we replenished our supplies and bought new armor, weapons and food. When we decided to move on we bumped into the impostors. Imagine our surprise when there were eight of them instead of four.

"This is weird…" Celes said after replacing the Palma Potion she and Colette ruined. Why are there eight of them now?"

"It's just as I feared…" I replied. "Things are changing now that we're here. I wonder if there is any merit to Abyssion's words now…"

"Huh?" asked Genis. "What are you talking about?"

"This is all just giving me one big headache!" Mark Anthony exclaimed. "Dad, can we just tell them already?"

"Tell us what?" asked Lloyd. "What's going on?"

"Might as well at this point." I replied. "Follow me." I led the way to the nearby Inn and booked a room for the night. Once everyone was present it was time to get things started.

---

"Before I begin I just want to say that we mean you no harm." Dad started. "That and it was never our intent to deceive you for so long. As you can tell by our talk and dress, we have reasons for not being honest with you from the beginning—Abyssion was just overkill at this point."

"First, we'll tell you who we are and where we're from." Said Hannah. "First…um, let's see….hmm. Ted, maybe you should explain this part."

"Very well." He replied. "I'll not mince words or drag this on so I'll make this short and to the point: we are not from this world. My family, Hannah, Abyssion and I come from a planet called Earth."

"How did you get here?" Asked Colette.

---

"_Hmm? That's weird." I said when I noticed my sword glowing._

"_What?" Fin asked._

"_I don't know why but it's glowing for some reason." I replied._

"_Why don't you ask my dad?" Katrin suggested. "He might know." She led the way upstairs to Mark Anthony's room where Ted was last seen. As soon as I walked into the room I spotted Abyssion in the window and unsheathed my sword._

"_What the...!" I heard Ted say before everything went white._

---

"And that's pretty much it." I finished. "Apparently all three of our swords had some sort of reaction and we ended up being brought here. At first I thought it was accidental but now I'm starting to believe there's a reason we are all here."

"That's not all." Said Celes. "We also have reason to believe other members of our family may also be in this world as well. We have a rather huge family, as you can tell. We don't even know how many are here or where they are exactly."

"That's got to be harsh." Said Lloyd. "Not knowing where the people you care most about are…"

"Wait, there's more." I continued. "I need to explain how it is some of us know everything about you and the next four people to join up with you, including that female Assassin."

Dad!" Mark Anthony exclaimed. "But you said…!"

"It's alright, Mark." Kratos said suddenly. "I know everything as well."

---

"Are you ok with sharing that or is now not a good time?" I asked.

"No, it's ok." Kratos replied before turning to Lloyd. "I know you're going to find this hard to believe but Lloyd…I am your father." Everyone including Dad looked at Kratos in shock. Of all the ways to drop a bomb on someone, Kratos just did it.

"Wha—what!" He stammered in complete surprise. "You're kidding, right?"

"Sorry but no." Celes replied. "Although that WASN'T what I was referring to…"

"You mean there's more?" Genis asked in surprise.

"Uh-huh…" Dad said thoughtfully. "This has in part to do with what Abyssion said the other day, but I'm thinking we should save it for another day."

"How come?" asked Lloyd.

"Dwarven Vow number 19—let sleeping dogs lie." Dad replied. "Besides, what I would've said…you really need to find out on your own. It'll make more sense when we get to the Asgard Region."

"I see…" Raine said thoughtfully. "Would you at least tell us about your weapons? You mentioned something about the nature of yours, Hannah's and Abyssion's earlier."

---

"Sure." I replied. "In our world, our Deity created a vast array of weapons shortly after creation. Shortly after they were forged, twelve of the weapons were stolen by demons and brought to earth. Over the course of 2 years my family found ten of them. When I was sixteen I killed a demon and discovered this sword—the Time Blade to be my prize. I later learned two other swords—Hannah's Power Blade and Abyssion's Power Blade—could along with mine be combined to create a sword powerful enough to slay even Divine Beings."

"The Trinity Blade." Hannah finished. "Abyssion's father is a very powerful demon though he, himself is half-human. A short time ago he and I dueled for possession of the Power Blade and as you can tell, I won. Abyssion intends to use the Trinity Blade to kill our Deity and rule the Universe. Of course, Ted and I are the only ones who stand in his way."

"Whoa, that's a lot to wrap your head around." Lloyd said with a sigh. "But wait—didn't you say only you two can harm him?"

"I was just getting to that." I replied. "In order for something to exist, you need time, space and energy. Each of our swords represents one of the three. When combined into the Trinity Blade, one could essentially create or destroy at will. Separate, each sword is limited to its namesake. For example, I have the power to manipulate time. Hannah's sword grants her unlimited power and Abyssion's allows him to travel between dimensions."

"If they fell into the wrong hands, they it could be disastrous." Said Raine.

"You won't have to worry about that." Hannah said with a smile as she threw her sword on the floor. "Lloyd, try to pick that up."

"Sure." He said as He walked over to it. When he tried to lift it, he found it wouldn't move. "Whoa! This thing is heavy!"

"I wouldn't know." Hannah replied with a grin as she picked it up with ease. Then she threw it across the room. "Genis, catch!" Everyone watched in shock as he held the sword with ease.

"How'd he do that?" asked Colette.

"We decide who can wield our swords at will." I explained. "At the moment, Hannah decided Lloyd shouldn't pick it up by making it to heavy for him."

"So that means only you three can use the swords?" asked Colette.

"For now, I'm saying yes." Dad quickly replied. "The rest is for another day."

"Still…all that was just so much…" Lloyd said as rubbed his head.

"You haven't even heard the half of it…" Said Celes.

"Please…no more…" Lloyd replied.

"Don't worry, this one's easy." She replied. "Dad, show 'em your wings."

---

A/N: OK, I think I need to stop there. I clearly spent WAY too much time on plot here and this story's starting to lag a bit. We can't reveal too much now, can we?

Wait, what am I saying? I can always change things later! Chapter now continues!

---

"I don't think they should see them right now." He replied as he glared at me. "Besides, if I do then maybe—"

"Alright, alright we get it." Genis said with a sigh. "You're all a bunch of Angels, aren't you? I mean, you've even got a girl named Angel!"

"I wouldn't say that much." Said Hannah before making her translucent wings visible. "Though it is true some of us do have wings."

"Now that we have shared all of this with you, we have a big favor to ask." I said. "Please don't tell anyone else about what we've told you. At least not yet. As Dad said, we don't know how our being here has affected the world so it would be best if everyone didn't know where we came from."

"Perhaps later you'll be able to share more." Said Raine.

"That I guarantee." Dad replied. "For now, we need to think about how to get to the next seal at Thoda Geyser."

"The next seal is THERE?" Asked Raine in surprise.

"That much I know hasn't changed." Dad replied with a grin. "But first, I think we should see the person who governs this city."

---

The next day, we did just that. As we came into the city square we saw Dorr talking to a kid with Kilia at his side. Afterwards they went into the government building, so we followed. When we told him and Neil Colette was the Chosen of Regeneration the two flipped and both Celes and Colette tripped, making their wings appear.

"Wow!" Kilia exclaimed in surprise. "Father, did you see! They have wings! They're like Angels! They're beautiful!"

"I wish they were talking about me…" Angel whispered, clearly jealous.

"W…wait!" Neil yelled at the guards who showed up. "Everyone, lower your weapons! One of these young women before us is without a doubt the Chosen of Mana!"

"That would be Colette." Said Celes. "As far as we know, anyways."

After begging for Colette's forgiveness they spilled the beans about an impostor group that made off to Koton's place with the Book of Regeneration. Of course, Genis was decided to insult them and Raine smacked him.

"That's enough!" She scolded.

"You don't happen to remember the contents of that whatever-it's-called book, do you?" Lloyd asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not…" Neil replied ruefully. "It is, after all, written in the language of the angels, so only members of the church can read it."

"Let's try asking at the church." Colette suggested. "Maybe the priests know something." So that's where we went. When we explained the situation we realized we were truly stuck. That's when we noticed Chocolat, a girl we met yesterday in the Item Shop was the tour guide on duty.

"Oh, you're the ones that came to our item shop earlier, aren't you?" She asked in surprise. "I'm sorry about what you saw earlier. I work here as a pilgrim tour guide."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Lloyd replied. "But are you going to be okay? Those guys might not hesitate to destroy this entire city."

"You don't know anything, do you?" She asked in surprise. "This area is under the control of Magnius from the eastern ranch, but just last month they reached the designated death count limit. We're safe until next year."

What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Katrin asked Angel.

"I read in a book when we were in that base that The Desians have a quota on how many humans they should kill each year." She replied. "Believe it or not, they believe that if they exceed their limit they may have a difficult time harvesting new…people."

"That's just creepy…" Said Fin with a shudder. I'll be damned if they tried something on me."

"So this city hasn't signed a non-aggression treaty…" Raine noted.

"Iselia's the only place with a treaty like that." Chocolat confirmed. "Although there are many who envy it. I don't want any part of a treaty that caters to the Desians."

"I agree." Fin added. "Why should they be trusted anyway, the bastards?"

"Just hang in there until the Chosen saves us, okay?" Chocolat suggested.

"O…okay!" Colette exclaimed. "I will!"

"COLETTE!" Lloyd, Celes and myself exclaimed in unison. Before Chocolat could wonder what was going on we went back outside.

"Did I…miss something?" She asked in confusion.

"Colette…she didn't realize you were the Chosen…" Lloyd replied. "Didn't I say you need to act more chosen-like?"

After a bit of debate it was decided we should go to Hakonesia Peak after the imposters. It was a six-day trip on foot but that ended up being extended to ten when we came across Nova's Caravan. Of course, Katrin and Raine insisted we stop by for a visit. We ended up gaining some valuable information on Aska, the Summon Spirit of Light however.

"I'll sum up the situation in which they encountered the glowing bird." Said Raine after talking to the entire caravan. "First, they encountered it on the Ossa Trail. This indicates that the glowing bird only appears in high places. Next, a Linkite Tree made a beautiful sound, as if the nuts were producing a melody. Finally, on that day there was a strong wind, and the sound of the Linkite Nuts was carried a long distance by the wind. I think that about sums it up."

"They said that after traveling around the world, they went back to the Ossa Trail again but the Linkite Tree was already gone." Genis noted.

"And they've yet to find another Linkite Tree on any of their journeys." Lloyd added. "At least, there weren't any they could get to by foot."

"Which means in order to meet Aska, we need to search for a Linkite Tree in a place you can't get to on foot." Raine concluded.

"That sounds impossible…" Said Lloyd as the reality set in.

"Yes…well, we don't need to accomplish it immediately…" Raine replied. "And even if we did find a Linkite Tree, it wouldn't do us any good if it was dead."

"The sound has to be carried on the wind and playing a melody sounds difficult, too." Genis added.

"Couldn't you do something about a dead tree with your healing arts?" Lloyd asked Raine and Katrin.

"I have the power to raise the dead." Said Katrin. "It's something I learned back home. In the case of a tree, I'd need to see it first, though…"

"My power alone wouldn't be enough…" Raine replied sadly. "In order to heal something that's already dead, I'd need something that could strengthen my skills. Something that could call forth the Linkite Tree's will to live. Something like an Exsphere or even just a small fragment of one. Also if it's dead, that means the ground there is weak. We'd need to replenish the earth and make it nourishing again."

"Dad's the only one I can think of who might have a spare Exsphere…" Lloyd replied thoughtfully.

"Although, if there are any other dwarves around, they might have one, too." Genis noted.

"There's nothing we can do." Raine replied dismissively. For the time being, let's give up on Aska."

Impressed at how we figured out how to meet asked, Nova agreed to make a noted of what we learned. Of course, at least one other person needed to be here who wasn't…

---

Two days later we reached a House of Salvation. "We're about halfway there now. Kratos noted as we walked up to the building. "If you'd like, we can rest here and—"

All conversation stopped when we opened the door. Standing there was Sheena, the Assassin we met on the Ossa Trail. And believe it or not, she was PRAYING, of all things.

"Hey, what are you praying for?" Lloyd asked.

"So I can save everyone." She replied before turning around.

"Well, there's a nice thought." Lloyd replied with a grin.

"Shut up!" She snapped, clearly realizing herself being at a disadvantage here.

Lloyd clearly ignored that comment. "My name's Lloyd!" He exclaimed eagerly. "What's yours?"

"What…?" Sheena replied, clearly as baffled as the rest of us were.

"Lloyd?" Genis asked in surprise.

"Ah, I'm Colette." The chosen offered. "I'm still inexperienced as a Chosen, but I promise I'll do my best and regenerate the world."

"I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR NAMES!" She shouted.

"Talk about loud…"Fin remarked as he rubbed his head.

"I…I'm trying to kill you!" Sheena reminded Colette.

"I know, but if we just talk, I'm sure we can come to an understanding." Colette offered rather calmly—given the situation.

"Are you even listening to me!" Sheena fumed, clearly baffled.

"I'm listening." Colette assured here. "But um… Ms. Assassin…"

"IT'S SHEENA!" She boomed. "Sheena Fujibayashi!"

"So we've heard…" Dad trailed, his irritation starting to show.

"You were praying." Colette continued. "Praying makes one's heart grow. I pray, too. So I'm sure we can understand each other." Hearing that seemed to soften the clumsy assassin up a bit when she spoke again.

"I…I was praying that I'd be able to kill you…" She replied, not even looking at Colette anymore. That's when she realized exactly what she just said before saying anymore. "Forget it! I lost my concentration! You'd better be ready next time!" And with that she made herself vanish.

"This is going to sound so very clichéd but we are going to meet her again, and soon." I announced.

"Somehow I'm not surprised…" Lloyd replied.

---

After resting we hiked over 50 miles to Hakonesia Peak. When Koton insisted we pay a ridiculous amount of money Lloyd was pissed. That's when we noticed the Book of Regeneration sitting on a table nearby.

"It's the Book of Regeneration!" Celes exclaimed.

"Let us have that!" Lloyd exclaimed. "At least just let us look at it for a bit."

"You've got to be kidding!" The old man snapped. "Why should I have to show it to you people!"

"Oh, come on!" Genis pleaded. "Colette is the—" Raine smacked him before he could finish.

"Stop." She said firmly "We'll be the ones treated as imposters."

"Huh?" Koton asked in surprise.

Colette is the Chosen of Mana's devout follower." Raine explained. She wishes to view articles that the Chosen has possessed. Colette is a faithful believer and is well-versed in the language of the angels."

"Ah yes, that's right." Colette added. "I've studied it since I was a child."

"Well, if it's that important to you, the maiden and beauty can have a look at it." Koton replied. "More than anything, I want the Spiritua Statue that is displayed in the House of Salvation. If you bring me that, I'll consider showing you the book."

"You're so stingy!" Genis fumed. "Like it costs you anything to just let us look at it."

"Give me ten minutes along with him and I'll get him to change his mind." Said Hannah.

"What?" Dad replied. "What are you planning?"

"Don't worry, I won't kill him." Hannah replied with a smile.

"I see." He replied. "Everyone else, wait outside." Everyone but Hannah then exited the house.

"What's going on?" Asked Lloyd. Dad and Kratos peeked into a window. Dad then looked up and shot Raine a 'they're having you-know-what' look.

"Maybe we should move the Chosen away from here." She said out loud.

"Why?" Asked Genis.

"Just move!" Katrin replied, herding everyone down the path. An hour later Hannah finally emerged from the hut, a look of satisfaction on her face.

"So, how did it go?" asked Kratos. That's when she produced the Book of Regeneration.

"How did you get him to give it to you?" Asked Lloyd.

"Kratos will tell you when you're older." She replied. "Assuming he wants to, anyways.

"Let's see what is says!" Raine said as Colette opened the book.

"I'll just read the parts concerning the seals." She said. "Raging flames in an ancient city deep within clouds of sand overlook the city, lighting the darkness. Pure, flowing water floating, overflowing, in an isolated land becomes a giant pillar and rains down from the sky. Sublime wind, ancient city, the world's… Enshrined in the center of a giant stone seal lurks evil, impersonating a holy force. Shining…gazing up at the summit of the gods, giving praise to the pillar of the world…from the top of the tower of ancient gods. Two giant… …The rest is too damaged. I can't read it."

"Then we don't even know how many seals are left." Lloyd noted.

"Indeed…" Kratos added.

"The 'raging flames' part at the beginning must be the Seal of Fire, right?" asked Lloyd. "What do the other parts mean?"

"'Pure, flowing water floating, overflowing, in an isolated land becomes a giant pillar and rains down from the sky.' Refers to the Seal of Water." Said Dad. "As I said, that's in Thoda Geyser.

"The Seal of Wind must be…the Asgard Ruin." Said Raine. "If we travel to Asgard, we should be able to find some more clues."

"What about 'gazing up at the summit of the gods'?" Asked Genis.

"I think that's probably the Tower of Mana." Colette replied. "From there, you can see the mountains around the Tower of Salvation, so that's probably the summit of the gods.

"But what seal is that?" asked Lloyd.

"You'll find out when we get there!" I exclaimed. "I mean come on, The Seal of Water's closer anyways…"

"Then that's where we're going next." Said Mark Anthony. "Anchors Aweigh!"

---

NOW the chapter's over. Obviously Hannah had sex with the old man, lol. I personally didn't see the significance behind the Geyser part aside from an Affection Check so I decided to cut it. Oh and you may have noticed Kratos revealed he's Lloyd's father this chapter. Don't worry—there's a HUGE plot twist next chapter, in which another seal is released. This early revelation wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. Speaking of which, have you been reading Freaky Animal's Fanfic entitled 'Plot Twist'? If not, you might wanna scope it out!


	6. Chapter 6: It Never Rains, it Pours

Toss Family Odyssey

---

Chapter 6: It Never Rains, It Pours

---

A/N: This is all of Thoda Geyser plus the party encounters Magnius for the first time. That's all I'm saying for now….wait. There's more. Crap, I forgot what it was so forget that last part about there being more…

---

As we prepared to go we noticed alot of people huffing up the pass from Palmacosta. It seemed there was trouble in the city we'd just come from. "You all would be better off waiting here for a while." said one man who ran by. "No matter what, you should stay away from Palmacosta!"

"What's going on?" asked Lloyd.

"It seems the Desians are headed for Palmacosta!" One terrified woman exclaimed. "Not only that, they say the leader of the nearby human ranch, Magnius, is with them!"

"Magnius, hmm…" Lloyd said thoughtfully.

"Lloyd, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" I asked him.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"I'll rephrase that." I replied. "Shouldn't we haul ass back to Palmacosta and find out what's going on?"

"That would be a good idea." Raine added.

"I'm interested in meeting this Magnius as well." Dad added. "For better or worse, anyway…"

"You all just read my mind!" Lloyd exclaimed with a grin. "Let's hurry!"

---

We entered the main square in time to see an execution about to take place. The person about to hang was Cacao, the owner of Palmacosta's Item Shop.

"Get out of the way!" One of the Desians barked. "Lord Magnius approaches!" A huge Desian with red dreadlocks made his way to the gallows. We all presumed him to be the Desian in charge of the Palmacosta Human Ranch

"It's Magnius from the eastern ranch…" A bystander whispered. Suddenly the half-elf turned and grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him above his head. By this time the man lost consciousness in a matter of seconds.

"That's LORD Magnius, vermin!" The man growled. He then finished the man by crushing his windpipe and discarding him as if he were nothing. Afterwards he climbed the stairs of the gallows.

"This woman defied the wishes of the great Lord Magnius and refused to provide us with supplies." One of the Desians declared.

"Therefore, while the designated death count has been exceeded, we have been granted orders to carry out this woman's execution!" Another finished. At this point, Lloyd couldn't keep his feelings internal anymore.

"Why isn't the city militia doing anything to stop this?" He asked in disgust

"Most of them are out on training exercises right now." A townsman explained. "Those who were here were quickly overcome by the Desians."

"Those bastards!" Hannah exclaimed.

"Mom!!" We heard a rather familiar voice exclaim from the church. We looked and saw that it was Cacao's daughter, Chocolat. "Let her go, you monsters!"

"Stop right there, woman!" One of the Desians warned. "If you interfere, we'll make you suffer in ways that will leave you begging for death!"

"You think Governor-General Dorr will let you get away with this?" She shot back.

"Dorr?" Magnius asked in a rather teasing manner. "Don't get your hopes up, woman!"

"No!!" Chocolat exclaimed as Magnius reached for the lever. A boy throwing rocks proved to pull the burly Desian's attention away from executing Cacao.

"You…disgusting little vermin!" Magnius hissed as he jumped off the galley. Before he could go further, Lloyd and Mark Anthony decided to step in.

"Stop right there!" Lloyd yelled as he and Mark Anthony used Demon Fang, both hitting Magnius.

"Boys, stop!" Raine exclaimed as she ran up to them. "Do you want to turn this city into the next Iselia?"

"It's not the same!" Lloyd replied. "This city doesn't have a non-aggression treaty with the Desians! How can we go on a quest to regenerate the world if we can't even save the people standing right in front of us?!"

"I'm not about to let this beast murder that woman, either." Mark Anthony added. "Dad always told me I should stand up for the rights of others. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let this play out."

"They're both right!" Colette added as the two of us stepped up next to Lloyd and Mark Anthony. "I won't just stand here and let this happen!"

"Same here." I added as I unsheathed my Lunar Blade. "So long as I'm here, I will do what I can to protect the innocent."

"You!" One of the Desians exclaimed. "You're wanted criminal #0074…Lloyd Irving!"

"Well, now!" Said Magnius, clearly looking to take advantage of an opportunity. "So you're that boy with the Exsphere! Ha, ha, ha, ha! This is perfect! After I take that Exsphere from you, they'll make me the leader of the Five Grand Cardinals! Get them!"

With that, three of the Desians stepped forward and cast Fire Ball simultaneously at us. At the last minute Genis and Angel ran in front of us and stopped the magic with Force Field.

"Amateurs…" Genis muttered as the two of them walked coolly back towards Raine and Katrin.

"You worthless idiots!" Magnius fumed. "Enough of this! I'll take care of this woman first!" He then gave the Desian remaining on the galley the signal to pull the lever. He did and everyone watched in shock as Cacao started to swing.

"NO!" Colette exclaimed before throwing one of her Chakrams. It cut the rope and returned to Colette's hand.

"What the?!" Magnius exclaimed in utter shock.

Kratos and Dad took the opportunity to attack Magnius yet again. "Let us respect the wishes of the Chosen." Kratos declared. Obviously the Citizens were shocked to hear the Chosen of Mana had come to save them. After Raine pleaded for Lloyd and Colette to think about what was going, our next action was clear: We were going to destroy the Desians!

"Damned little…enough of this crap!" Magnius exclaimed as he did his best to hold his insides in. "I'm leaving them to you. Get rid of them!" With that he teleported away with two guards.

---

"Everybody clear out of here!" I exclaimed. "This place is about to become a battle zone!" All the citizens took that moment to scatter. Chocolat grabbed her mother and they ducked into the Church.

"How dare you lay a hand on Lord Magnius?!" One of the remaining Desians roared. "You're all dead!" The rest of them surrounded us and formed a Phalanx.

"Let's show them our power!" Celes exclaimed as she extended her wings. "Angel Feathers!" She quickly took down several Desians at once but more took their place.

I'll show you your powerless ness…" Angel breathed as she cast what I knew would be a VERY powerful spell. "Indignation…JUDGEMENT!" Kratos managed to get out of the way just as several bolts of lightning struck the Desian barking orders. A large sword of light then fell right into him. Before he could recover, massive light energy exploded from it, killing him and the four Desians unfortunate enough to be standing close by.

"Deep-Fried Goodness!" Hannah exclaimed as she admired Angel's handiwork.

"Be on your guard!" I exclaimed when I noticed another Desian preparing a spell of his own. "Super Damage Guard!" With that I stopped the spell just before it hit her.

"I was careless!" Hannah replied in surprise.

"There's no time!" I shot back before cutting the Desian lurking behind her in half. "Stay on your guard!" I turned around in time to catch an arrow right to the chest. "Ugh!"

"Sonic Thrust!" Mark Anthony said before taking out the sniper. This gave me enough time to pull the entire arrow out of my body. Fortunately, the arrowhead came out too.

"Help is on the way." said Katrin. "Healing Circle!" Almost instantly the wound was healed. After several more minutes all opposition was eliminated.

"You picked the wrong guy to mess with…" Lloyd spat after confirming the victory.

"I still have a lot to learn..." I said after getting healed by Katrin again.

---

After checking to make sure Cacao and Chocolat were ok, we decided to be on our way. When we reached the House of Salvation again a soldier asked us to help in a planned attack on the nearby Human Ranch. Of course, some of us were itching to finish what we started in Palmacosta. When we arrived we discovered we were being led into a trap by Neil. Still, we already came this far…

"Now then, we have two courses we can take." Said Raine. "The first one is to go on ahead and infiltrate the ranch and rescue Chocolat and the other captives. Now that things have come to this, if we leave the ranch alone, it will surely result in a second Iselia. Our second option is to confirm Door's true motives. If he has planned a trap, then he knows the layout of the ranch well. …Let's let him talk for a bit."

"What are you going to do to Dorr?" Neil asked.

"…You'd better not ask that." Genis replied. "Raine's punishment is painful." That's when she gave us all a public display.

"Thinking logically, dealing with Dorr first is the correct choice." Kratos noted.

"What do you think, Lloyd?" asked Colette.

"Let's go attack!" He exclaimed. "Who cares about their trap?! We're going to save Chocolat, now!"

"You got it!" Genis piped up. "Count me in!"

"Me, too." Colette added. "I'm sure Chocolat is scared and lonely by herself."

"I don't want to agree to this, but it looks like I don't have a choice…" Raine replied.

"If that is your wish…" Said Kratos. "Let's go."

After giving it some thought, we decided Neil would be coming along as well. "Seeing as we have a rather large attack force, I think we should split up." Said Dad once we got inside.

"Oh?" Asked Raine. "What did you have in mind?"

"After we find the captives, we'll lead them to safety." I replied. "Except Mark Anthony, Celes and Angel, anyway. I want the three of them to go with the rest of you."

"You have a plan, don't you?" asked Hannah.

"Of course." I replied. "Now let's go."

---

"So this is the control room…" Lloyd said about three hours later.

"So…the forsaken Chosen and her entourage of vermin have finally arrived!" Magnius hissed as he appeared on a huge chair in the middle of the room.

"Forsaken?" Kratos repeated with a look of surprise.

"You got it all mixed up Magnius." Lloyd fired back. "You're the one that's forsaken! Your time here is up!" That's when a lot of Desians decided to make their presence known.

"We're surrounded!" Colette exclaimed.

"Just like a bunch of stupid vermin!" Magnius boomed with a laugh. "I know your every move. And I know about those inferior beings trying to escape, too." He then revealed Neill, Dad and the others making their way out when several doors closed, trapping them in one room. Dad simply blew a hole into a wall, making a new exit.

"Whoa…" Lloyd trailed. "Looks like Ted's got everything under control."

"How about I recreate that incident using the vermin on the projector?" asked Magnius, reverting our attention back to the key crestless prisoners. "Watch--I'll unleash their Exspheres and turn them into monsters! I'll be more than happy to turn them into monsters, just like that old lady you killed--just like Marble!"

"Marble?" Chocolat asked, clearly shocked at what Magnius was saying. "You don't mean…"

"Oh, but I do, my little Chocolat!" Magnius goaded. Damn him, more so for being honest. "Dear old granny Marble was sent to the Iselia ranch, where she was killed by Lloyd. I heard she met a pitiful end!"

"Wait, it wasn't like that!" Angel started to explain. "Lloyd tried to save her! But the Desians turned her into a monster and—"

"Lloyd killed her!" Magnius finished. Refusing to let us rescue her now, two Desians grabbed Chocolat and led her away.

"Get out of the way." I said when the rest decided to advance on us. Ignoring the warning, I decided to show them we were serious. "Flare Blade!" I swung my sword, creating a beam of fire that set several of the Desians on fire.

"Time to get cold—Freeze Blade!" Celes said before swinging her sword. It froze the remaining Desians Solid. "Angel, finish them!"

"I'm already on it." She replied as she prepared a spell. "Thunder Blade!" The electric attack finished off the lackeys unfortunate enough to still be alive.

"Talk about team work…" Genis said, clearly impressed with how quickly we'd taken down all the Desians.

"Damn it, how can you idiots allow these inferior beings to defeat you?!" Magnius fumed in disgust. He then got out of his chair and picked up a shield and axe. "Fine, I'll take care of you myself! I'll put an end to the Chosen, right along with you fools who can't let go of your elven blood!"

---

"You really think you're going to live through this?" Magnius challenged as Lloyd, Colette, Kratos, Genis and Raine stepped forward.

"Of course they are." I replied. "If they don't, we're more than enough for you!" That ended up not having to happen, as the rest of our group made short work of the brute.

"I…lost to a bunch of kids?!" He said after being mortally wounded by Lloyd. "Ugh…how?! How could a superior half-elf like me…"

"It's because you are a fool, Magnius." Kratos replied. "Cruxis has accepted Colette as

the Chosen."

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"That's right!" Lloyd added. "Colette is going to regenerate the world! We're not going to lose to someone like you!"

"So…you're…Then…I was deceived…" He said before breathing his last. Raine took that moment to activate the Human Ranch's self-destruct system.

"This should allow the people imprisoned to escape." She added.

"What about the Exspheres implanted in them?" asked Kratos. "Without Key Crests, it's only a matter of time before they go out of control."

"Can't we just take the Exspheres off of them?" Genis suggested.

"It's dangerous to attempt to remove an Exsphere lacking a Key Crest." Kratos warned. "I would imagine only a dwarf could handle it."

"Then we can ask Dirk to do it." Colette replied.

"Yeah, let's contact him." Lloyd added.

"We can work out the details later." Raine said suddenly. "Right now, I'm going to program this place to self-destruct. Ready?"

"Are you serious?!" asked Lloyd.

"Raine, if you do that…" Genis started.

At the very least, we'll deal a major blow to the Desian stranglehold over this region." She replied. "If we're going to strike them, it should be thorough and decisive."

"Raine…"Genis started again.

"Remember Genis, we're not like them." She replied. "We're different. I've set the self-destruct timer for ten minutes. Let's hurry and evacuate!"

---

I turned and saw Lloyd and Mark Anthony's group emerging from the building. "It's going to explode!" Celes exclaimed. Everyone else took that cue to get clear. Soon afterward Neil took that moment to take the captives with him back to Palmacosta.

"You need to send a letter in my name to a dwarf named Dirk who lives in Iselia." said Lloyd in regards to the key crests. "I'm sure he'll help you get them removed."

'I think it is time we had a talk with a mastermind behind all this." Kratos said suddenly.

"Ah…right." I said. "The Governor-General."

"You're going to see Dorr, aren't you?" Neil asked with a worried expression on his face. "Please…please, take me with you!"

"It may turn into a fight." Lloyd warned. "Are you sure?"

"I want to know the Governor-General's true motives." He replied. "Please!"

"All right then." Lloyd replied. We then made our return to Palmacosta. As we walked by Cacao's store I remembered Chocolat.

"I don't know where those Desians got out but we never saw them." I said.

"Was that why you volunteered to take care of the hostages?" asked Raine.

"More or less." I replied with a grin. "Looks like we've got to break the news though."

"I'll do it." Said Lloyd. "As the one who drove her away it's my responsibility."

"I'll come, too." Genis offered. The two then walked into the shop with Raine and Katrin,

who wanted to restock. The deed done we went after Governor-General Dorr.

---

"When will my wife…when will Clara return to her original form?" We overheard as we entered the basement of the government building.

"Not yet." Another voice said. "You still haven't paid us enough Gald. You've been paying us less and less."

"This is the best I can do!" We heard Dorr exclaim. "The tolls, the municipal taxes, the offerings to the Church of Martel…there's nowhere left to squeeze more money from!"

"Well, I suppose this will do…for today." The other person replied. "I'm sure Lord Magnius will remove the demon seed depending on your next contribution." The sound of footsteps leaving the ensued and we chose then to make our presence known.

"What's the matter?" asked Lloyd. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Um, Lloyd, that's a really clichéd line." Angel replied.

"What are you doing here?!" Dorr asked in horror. "Neil! Where's Neil?!"

"Governor-General…I can't believe you've been working together with the

Desians!" Neil replied in similar fashion.

"So that's it…You betrayed me!" Dorr fired back accusingly.

"Governor-General, the Chosen destroyed the ranch for us!" Neil declared. "Please, stop this foolishness!" I noticed a look of shock on his kid's face.

"What have you done?!" He asked in horror. "You…destroyed Clara's hopes of living!"

"I don't know who that is, but we saved everyone at the ranch." Lloyd replied. "Except for Chocolat…"

"Saved?" Dorr asked disgustedly. "That's funny! All right, then--just try saving Clara! Save my wife!" With that he tore off the sheet covering one of the cells. In it was a rather grotesque-looking creature. An audible gasp came from Kratos.

"Ah!" Genis screamed. "What's that monster?"

"She's crying…she's crying out in pain…" Colette answered. "You mustn't call her a monster…"

"You don't mean…" Lloyd trailed.

"That's right." Dorr replied. "This is what's become of my wife, Clara!"

"So that's why you told everyone she passed away…" Raine commented sadly.

"My father, the previous Governor-General, was a fool." Said Dorr. "Because of his defiant stance against the Desians, they killed him, then planted the demon seed in my wife as a warning. If I cooperate with them, they will give me the medicine to save her."

Form there he and Lloyd had an argument about righteousness and justice. After Colette calmed them both down, she offered to find medicine for him. That's when his kid went postal and turned into a monster herself.

"I am a servant of Pronyma, leader of the Five Grand Cardinals who rule

over the Desians." She declared. "I was merely assigned to observe the new human cultivation technique, developed by Magnius. There's no way that a superior half-elf such

as I, could have a fool of a father like this!"

"How could you!" Colette exclaimed before lunging at her.

"You!" Lloyd seethed. "Ready Colette?"

"Pow Blade!" They said together as they unleashed a combination of Pow Hammer and Tiger Blade. The attack downed the monster almost instantly.

"This can't be!" The monster exclaimed. "Fine…then, I'll set this monster free and let it kill you!" Right after opening the door the monster finally died.

"No, not again…do I have to kill another innocent victim?" Lloyd said as the mutant emerged from the cell.

---

"Nope." I replied as I took out my Lance. "By the power of all that is holy, restore this soul to its original form—Healing Light!" With that, we watched as the monster turned into an elegant young woman.

"You did it!" Kratos exclaimed in shock.

"Of course." I replied with a grin. "I am the most powerful healer the world has ever seen. Mine, anyway. Just don't ask me to do that again—I'll need time to recharge."

"Clara…I'm sorry…" We heard Dorr say. "Because of my foolish ways, I…"

"Raine, help him!" Genis exclaimed. A moment after using Nurse, she turned to us and shook her head sadly. The reaction Colette, Celes and Katrin gave was of disbelief.

"No!" Colette exclaimed.

"Where…is me daughter…?" We heard Dorr ask.

"It looks like she's going to be ok." Lloyd replied.

"I see." He replied. "I only wish I was as strong as you were…" And with that he breathed his last and died.

"Governor-General Dorr!" Neil said as he covered his face in grief. At that point the rest of us went upstairs to give Neil and Clara time to grieve. Later on, they assured us that they would make sure the captives we rescued would be taken care of with that out of the way our next stop would be the Thoda Geyser.

---

"Hey, I just realized something!" I exclaimed when we reached the dock northeast of Palmacosta.

"What is it?" asked Fin.

"My Force Element is water and the next place we're going to is the Water Seal." I said.

"Yeah…so?" Katrin replied.

"When I'm around water my powers get a boost." I said. "Angel's magic power increased when we were in the desert as well. I think it would be a good idea if I take point once we get there."

"I don't see anything wrong with that." Kratos noted. "But first, we need to find a means of getting there…" A stop inside the chapel yielded a washtub as the means of transportation.

"Wow, this looks like it'll be fun!" Colette cheered as we made our way to the docks.

"I…I'm going to wait here." Raine said suddenly. "Go on ahead without me."

"What's wrong, Professor Sage?" asked Lloyd.

"N…nothing, I'm not getting in that thing." She replied firmly.

"You're not scared of a little water, are you?" I asked teasingly. "You've got Mr. Aurabolt with you and I can tell you that there's nothing to worry about."

"That's right." Celes added. "We could go back, we could go forward, we could go side to side—"

"Wait…" She said before retching into the water.

"It looks fun!" Colette piped up. "Come on, let's get in!"

"Yeah, Raine!" Genis exclaimed as he grabbed his sister by the arm.

"AHH!" She screamed. This earned a look of shock from everyone.

"Ah?" Lloyd repeated. "Professor Sage, is there something you need to tell us?"

"I…I was just starting to say, 'Ah, this should be fun!'" She quickly replied before getting into one of the washtubs.

"Heh," was Kratos' reply before everyone else joined her. Those who didn't fit climbed into another one. As the washtubs moved away, everyone noticed I was still on the dock.

"Ted, what are you doing?!" Hannah exclaimed.

"You guys are going to take awhile." I replied. "I'll meet you there." With that I stepped off the pier and ran across the water to the island.

"Whoa!" I heard Genis and Lloyd said in unison.

---

"What took you so long?" Dad said jokingly when the rest of us arrived.

"It's not our fault we can't run on water." I replied.

"You could've used your wings, you know." He shot back.

"Oh, yeah…" I replied.

"Hey, isn't this a…" Lloyd said as he noticed the Oracle Stone.

"That must be why it looked familiar!" Colette exclaimed with excitement. "Okay then, I'll try putting my hand on the stone. Here we go!" Like the first one, the way forward was opened.

"Excellent…" Raine said cheerfully. "Now, let us begin the excavation at once!"

"We're not here to excavate anything…" Lloyd whined as we all went inside.

"It looks like that girl didn't make it inside." Kratos said as we made our way inside the temple.

"What girl?" He asked.

"That assassin." Dad replied. "The one after the Chosen."

"She followed us?!" He exclaimed in shock. Mark Anthony, Dad and Kratos exchanged a look.

"Well, he is your son…" Mark Anthony remarked in amazement.

"You didn't notice?" Kratos asked Lloyd.

"I…I was busy thinking and stuff." He replied.

"Lloyd, you're making me sad…" said Mark Anthony.

"Never let your guard down, ever." Kratos warned, clearly embarrassed about Lloyd's lack of awareness. "Assuming you want to survive."

"Oh, yes, of course, you're S000 perfect." Lloyd replied. "You'd never screw up."

"Even I make mistakes." Said Kratos. "I made a terrible one…"

"What?" Lloyd asked when he saw the look of sadness on his father's face.

"Nothing." He replied. "I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me…" And with that he walked away quickly.

"Forgive you?" Lloyd asked in surprise. "You don't make any sense sometimes…"

"He'll tell you when he's ready." Said Dad. "And trust me, only he should be the one to tell you."

---

"This place is all dark and humid." Lloyd remarked when we reached the seal itself. "Let's hurry up and get out of here."

"We must release the seal first." I said with a smile. "The longer I'm in here, the better!"

"I feel…Mana welling up." Genis noted. "It's the same as the Seal of Fire." And like the Seal of Fire we had to fight some monsters. This time it was Adulocia and 2 Amphitras.

"Angel, you take point!" Katrin exclaimed.

"Understood!" She shot back as she prepared a spell.

"Fire, Ice and Lighting, combine as one!" I said as I prepared an attack of my own. "Show us your power! As it is written, let it be done—AURABOLT!" With that, a beam of Energy struck the Adulocia, taking it out in one hit. Without breaking a sweat I cut down the two Amphitra as well. Everyone else could only watch in shock.

"Aww…I didn't to do anything…" Lloyd whined. With the battle done the seal was broken.

"Chosen of Regeneration, you have done well in reaching this far." We heard the voice of Remiel say. "Now, offer your prayers at the altar."

---

"Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!" Colette pleaded. After doing so her wings appeared and she floated above everyone. I was surprised when I noticed my wings had appeared as well.

"You have done well, Chosen One, Colette." Remiel said as he appeared before us. "The second seal is now released."

"Thank you, Father." She replied.

"Accept this blessing from Cruxis." He continued. "I hereby grant you additional angelic power." That's when Remiel noticed I too had wings like Colette and had made a very visible frown.

"Ah…Father?" Colette asked in concern.

The next seal lies far north, in a place that gazes upon the end." Said Remiel. "Offer your prayers at the altar in the distant land."

"Father, have I done something to displease you?" Colette repeated.

"It matters not." He replied as he regained his composure. "All that is needed is for you to become an angel. I will be waiting for you at the next seal. Colette…my daughter. Hurry and become a true angel. Do not disappoint me…" And with he made himself vanish.

"What's up with him?" Asked Genis. "He always talks like he's so important."

SMACK!

"Apologize to Colette!" Raine snapped.

"It's all right." Colette replied. "Father… Remiel really does sound like that."

"Well, shall we get going to the next seal?" Lloyd suggested. "Although, he was confusing as usual."

"Only for the simple-minded." Hannah remarked with a grin. "He was referring to the Seal of Wind. With the Road Pass I 'borrowed' from Koton we can now got to Asgard."

"Let's not waste anymore time here, then." Fin replied. As we left the room Colette and I learned Holy Song. When we exited the temple I started feeling like crap again.

"Professor Sage, Colette's sick again!" Lloyd exclaimed when both of us collapsed almost in unison.

"As is Celes…" Dad noted.

"We must let them rest immediately." Said Raine.

"Time to set up camp, then." Kratos added dutifully.

Yes…but if this is going to happen every time she releases a seal, Colette is going to have a difficult journey ahead of her." Said Raine. "For the time being, I'm going to call the phenomenon Angel Toxicosis."

"I'm not sure one would want to call it phenomenon." Dad replied. "It's not like Celes looks forward to undergoing the same trial as Colette, after all."

---

Whew! The longest chapter yet! 16 Pages on MS Word. And they'll be getting longer still as we go along. Feed back is welcome as usual.


	7. Chapter 7: Blades of Air

---

Chapter 7: Blades of Air…

---

A/N: This covers the Windmaster incident and the Wind Temple along with the second Sheena fight. Abyssion's been MIA for awhile so at some point I'll squeeze him in this chapter. Heck, why not the beginning?

---

"Hey, there's a House of Salvation!" Angel exclaimed after we crossed the mountains into the Asgard Region.

"PLEASE can we rest there?" Mark Anthony begged. "That was such a long walk from Thoda Geyser…"

"Alright, alright!" I exclaimed. "We'll rest there a day before moving on."

"Alright!" Celes and Angel chimed before breaking into a run. Colette, Genis and Mark Anthony followed behind them.

"No so fast!" We all heard someone yell. In next moment Celes, Angel, Colette, Genis and Mark Anthony were surrounded in a ring of fire. That's when the person who did it made his presence known.

"Abyssion, what the hell!" Hannah exclaimed. "Since when do you take hostages?"

"Since you refuse to surrender your swords to me." He replied curtly.

"Looks like I'll have to show you once again why I simply won't do that." Hannah replied as she unsheathed her sword. "Ready?"

"Oh, yeah!" replied as he made his wings appear and unsheathed his sword.

"Let's take him down, Ted!" said Hannah.

"I think you can take him yourself." I replied with a grin. "You've already proven that in your first one on one encounter with him."

"Why do you keep bringing that up?" asked Abyssion before charging Hannah. She blocked his charge and throttled him using Hunting Beast. Abyssion quickly recovered and charged again. This time Hannah met him halfway.

"Beast Tiger Blade!" She exclaimed before stopping his charge and hitting him with a pair of vertical sword strokes. Without missing a beat she had a follow up in mind.

"Try to stop this!" Abyssion boomed before casting Flame Lance.

"Mirror Force!" She said right before it connected. Instead of hitting her, it hit Abyssion but at double the power. He still had some fight left into him.

"You'll have to do better than that!" He said as he concentrated a lot of energy into his sword. "I'm just getting started!" With that he jumped into the air and brought down his sword HARD. The resounding clash of their swords crated a shockwave, triggering an explosion that sent everyone caught off-guard flying.

"AH!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Such power…" Raine marveled as we watched.

"Showoff…" I scoffed. When the dust settled, the two were right back where they started.

"It's time to end this!" Abyssion exclaimed, his sword still pulsing. "Lost Seraph!" He then ran forward and slashed Hannah several times. The final blow sent her flying. She came back down with a thud.

"I'm not done yet!" Hannah seethed as she rose to her feet. When I saw the magic circle appear below her I knew what was going to happen next. Her entire body was glowing and her wings were visible. "Prepare yourself—Blade Beam!" She thrust her sword into the ground and a beam of light throttled Abyssion. She pulled it out of the earth and followed him into the air where she split in four. The four of them then struck Abyssion sixteen times, slamming him into the ground on the last count.

"Did I…just lose…again…?" Abyssion gasped as he rose to his feet.

"From the way your body looks, I'd say yes." I heard another voice say.

"Ted, behind you!" Mark Anthony exclaimed. I turned and slashed at the girl intending to ambush me from behind. She simply jumped over me and landed next to Abyssion.

"Aurina's here!" Hannah exclaimed.

"Father, we need to head for Derris-Kharlan." She said before healing him. "It seems there is a new development that requires the two of us."

"I see…" he said as he sheathed his sword. Then he remembered the rest of us were standing there. "Make no mistake that the outcome of our next meeting will be different, Ted Toss. Sooner or later the two of you WILL see things my way."

"I seriously doubt that." Hannah replied.

"As you humans like to say, time can change things." He shot back with a look of satisfaction. Before I go, I'll leave you with a nice parting gift even though I was defeated. Ted, this next part will interest you specifically. I have heard from a very reliable source that the mothers of all your children are in this region. Finding them is not only a matter of time but a matter of life and death."

"Where did you hear this?" asked Hannah.

"The leader of the Human Ranch in this region, of course." He replied with a laugh. "Now if you'll excuse me, I will be going now." With that, he and his daughter flew into the air and disappeared, along with the fire that surrounded the others.

---

"That was incredible!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Hannah, can you teach me that?"

"I could but that would be hard." She replied. "I fight with one sword instead of two. That and it took me a year to master that last move."

"I wonder where they went off to?" asked Raine. "And just who was that girl?"

"His daughter." Dad replied. "Believe it or not they're complete opposites. While Abyssion keeps his true feelings inside, Aurina's are as plain as the nose on her face. She's not as strong as her father but she's a force to be reckoned with."

"I see." Kratos replied. "Abyssion also mentioned the Human Ranch in this region. We need to be wary of any Desians we encounter."

"Agreed." Celes replied. "We need to be on guard and be ready for anything." After resting a spell at the House of Salvation we pressed on to Asgard. I had to admit it looked breathtaking compared to seeing it on TV. After helping Katrin and Raine re-supply we decided to look around.

"Oh, it's the Asgard Ruins!" Raine exclaimed when we came upon a large tablet near the back of the city. "Lloyd, state the historical background of this ruin."

"AH!" He yelped.

"It's the temple where Cleo III held a ritual to offer a sacrifice to the Summon Spirit of Wind in order to quell a storm that had raged for a week." Genis answered.

"That's about it." Lloyd replied sheepishly.

"Gah, have you learned anything at all these past five years!" Raine exclaimed, clearly shocked.

"PE, Art, and History." He replied.

"Never mind…" said Raine sadly.

---

I have to admit this is really interesting." said Katrin. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"What perfect form!" Raine goaded. Clearly she switched to Ruin Mode again. "This delicate curve is said to express the flight of the Summon Spirit of Wind through the sky. In addition, it is said that this stone is infused with a large volume of mana, and at night…"

"Hey, wanna sneak off for a bit?" I asked Lloyd.

"Of course!" He whispered back. We then made our way to the back of the platform where we overheard Linar and Harley's terrorist plot.

"What are you doing?" Lloyd asked them.

"What…who are you?" asked Harley in surprise.

"It's not what you think!" Linar blurted out. "We weren't trying to destroy the ruin at all!"

"Holy Lance!" I heard Katrin shout before a light attack destroyed the makeshift bomb they'd set up nearby.

"What did you just say!" Raine exclaimed as she appeared with Katrin between us.

"Professor, these guys said they're planning to destroy this stage!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"And you call yourselves men of science!" Raine refuted before kicking both of them to the ground.

"I am a half-elf!" Harley rebutted as he got back up.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Raine asked before knocking him down again.

"You there!" We heard someone nearby shout. "Trespassing in this area is forbidden!"

"Oh, no, it's the Mayor!" Linar exclaimed. "Let's get out of here!" The bumbling pair then made themselves scarce. After explaining everything to the mayor we decided to make a house call to the would-be terrorists. After speaking with Linar's sister Aisha Raine offered to take her place.

"According to the Book of Regeneration, this should be the next seal." Raine explained. "If we can meet the Summon Spirit, we should be able to tell. The sacrifice that the Summon Spirit seeks might even be the Chosen of Mana."

"I see!" Colette chimed. "That's our Professor!"

"You just want to study the ruin firsthand." Lloyd said flatly. That's when Raine smacked him across the face.

"It's not right for you to have to take my place." Aisha said to Raine.

"There's nothing to worry about." Katrin replied. "We know what we're doing."

"Raine, are you sure you're going to be okay?" asked Genis.

"Well, let me choose a few bodyguards just in case…" She replied.

---

That very evening we all met at the Stone Dias where Raine began the dance to call forth the summon spirit of wind. Soon the symbols began to glow and a monster appeared. "I have come for the girl." It said.

"It's not…no, Professor!" Colette exclaimed. "That is an evil creature. It's not the guardian of the seal!"

"I figured as much!" Lloyd said as he unsheathed his swords.

"Hang on, sis!" Genis exclaimed as he took out his Kendama.

"I'll handle this." said Fin as he jumped on the platform. "Hurricane Fist!" He jumped onto the air and throttled the monster. After several well—placed strikes Lloyd finished it off.

"Nice combo!" I exclaimed.

"Hah, it was hardly a challenging opponent." Raine mused. "Now, more importantly, about that stone tablet you acquired…"

---

The next day we went to Harley's house where he and Raine finished deciphering the Stone of Balacruf.

"The Professor is amazing!" Linar exclaimed. "She deciphered the complex Balacruf writing in no time at all!"

"Heh, Raine just gained another fan!" said Genis.

"She's quite the catch, huh?" Lloyd asked mockingly.

"Uh-huh!" Genis exclaimed. That's when Raine turned around and smacked him.

"It would appear that the monster was the cause of the calamity that afflicted the ancient Balacruf Empire." Raine said as she turned back to Linar, Aisha and Harley.

"It seems that the summoner at the time used Sylph, the Summon Spirit of Wind, to seal it away." Linar noted. "That person then built this stone dais to suppress the calamity."

"In preparation for the day when this calamity might reawaken, he left this map in order for people to be able to locate the Summon Spirit of the Wind." Raine added.

"After a great many years, people eventually confused the calamity with the Summon Spirit of Wind." Linar finished.

"So now you know where the Summon Spirit of Wind is located?" asked Angel.

"Why, of course." Raine exclaimed. "The location of the Summon Spirit is the location of the next seal."

"Wow!" Lloyd exclaimed. "I wonder what the Summon Spirit of Wind is like! I can't wait to see it!"

"Now we can finally regenerate the world!" Colette chimed.

"Maybe you will, heh, heh, heh…" said Dad with a laugh.

"Well then, if you know our next destination, we should be on our way at once." Said Kratos.

"Yes, it's likely that the seal is inside the Balacruf Mausoleum." Raine added.

"Everyone, let's move out!" Hannah exclaimed.

---

"It's an oracle stone!" Genis exclaimed when we reached the entrance to the Balacruf Mausoleum.

"Just like we thought." Lloyd noted. "This is a seal…"

"Okay then, I'm going to put my hand on it." Colette said before opening the door.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with." said Lloyd as we began to enter.

---

"Hey, wait up a second!" We heard someone say after opening all the doors inside. We turned to see a woman running toward us.

"Huh?" said Lloyd. "Who are you?"

"I'm looking for Sylverant's Chosen of Mana." She said. This earned a look of surprise from Kratos. "It seems my searching has finally brought me to the right group at last."

"Can we help you?" asked Raine.

"I'm looking for someone." She replied. "I'd heard there was a battle between two swordfighters and one of them had been seen in the area with the Chosen."

"Well, Colette here is the Chosen of Sylverant." I said. "And Hannah here was in a fight with another swordsman a few days ago. Is she the one you're looking for?"

"I see…" the woman replied. "I was actually looking for my husband and children but it doesn't sound like he was involved in that last fight…"

"Ann-Marie Toss, knock it off!" Dad exclaimed. "I know you know who we are!"

"Alright, alright!" She fumed before taking off her hood. "And I was having so much fun, too…"

"Looks like Abyssion was right." Said Hannah. "So if Ann is here, that must mean…"

"You don't even have to say it." I replied. "After this we're busting my mom out of there."

"Would someone mind filling us in on what's going on?" asked Lloyd.

"This is my wife, Ann Marie." said Dad as he introduced her. "Though, everyone just calls her Ann. She's also Katrin, Fin and Celes' mother. Mark Anthony is my son from another relationship and we adopted Angel into our family two years ago."

"Nice to meet you." Said Colette.

"Will you be joining us?" asked Kratos.

"Not yet." She replied. "There is something that I must do first."

"What?" Said Dad.

"I can't say but when I'm done I'll be waiting in Luin." She replied before turning to leave. Then she stopped and turned back. "I'm going to need Fin and Hannah as well. Is that ok with you, Ted?"

"I'm fine with it." He replied in similar fashion. "Kids, go with your mother."

"She's not my mother." Hannah shot back, clearly annoyed.

"Oh, that's right." Dad replied with a laugh. "My apologies."

"If that's everything I'll see you a bit later." Said Ann before she, Fin and Hannah disappeared down the hall. We then set out sights on the seal before us. After defeating Iapyx, the seal was broken and Remiel appeared before us again.

---

"You have done well reaching this far Chosen One, Colette!" Remiel declared. "Receive this blessing, the gift of angelic power from Cruxis."

"Yes, father." Colette replied as she received more angelic powers. "Thank you."

"The next seal lies far northwest, in a place that gazes upon the center of the world." Remiel continued. "Offer your prayers at the altar in that distant land."

"I shall do as you say…Lord Remiel." Colette replied before Remiel took his leave of us.

"The end of your journey is close." His voice echoed. "Hurry and become a true angel. Do not disappoint me…"

"A true angel…" She whispered.

"What is it?" asked Lloyd.

"Ah…nothing." Colette replied. "I was just…thinking. When I become a true angel, it'll be amazing!"

"And painful…" Dad added sternly in his 'I know what you really meant' tone.

"I wonder how many more seals are left?" asked Genis.

"Just one." Mark Anthony replied. "It's at the Tower of Mana north of here."

"I see…" Raine said thoughtfully.

"At any rate, all we can do is keep going." said Kratos. "Let's get out of here and head for Luin." Colette and Celes then learned Holy Song.

---

"Stop!" We heard Sheena say near the exit.

"That voice…" Lloyd said thoughtfully.

"Oh, no…" Said Genis upon recognizing it. That's when Sheena appeared before us once again.

"This day has finally come." She declared out loud. "This ancient ruin shall be your graveyard!"

"Oh, you're here, too!" Colette chimed as she walked over.

"S…stay back!" Sheena snapped. "Don't move and don't touch anything!"

"Now that we've finally become friends, why do we have to fight?" asked Colette.

"Since when are we?" she asked with a look of amusement. "I have no intention of befriending you! Prepare yourselves!"

"Get ready." Said Kratos as he unsheathed his sword.

"Everybody's counting on me…" she breathed as she entered a fighting stance.

"I'll take care of this." Colette said she started chanting something. "Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing."

"Not Holy Song…" Celes droned.

"Honor us with your special…ah, whoops!" said Colette, who apparently broke her concentration. "Heh, I messed up!" Still, the attack went on anyway and it smote both Sheena and the Guardian she summoned.

"Holy Judgment…" said Celes, clearly fascinated.

"Arrgh, why…why can't I win!" She fumed after making sure she was still breathing.

"Goodness and love will always win!" Genis exclaimed.

"Genis, please don't bring up that stupid Dwarven Vow!" Lloyd fired back in annoyance.

"I believe it's 'Goodness and love will always win.'" Celes corrected. "And it's Dwarven Vow #1."

"'Goodness!'" asked Sheena is complete shock. "What do you mean, 'goodness'! If you're good, I'm good as well!"

"Not you, too!" Lloyd moaned. "Everyone, stop saying corny things!"

"What do you know!" Sheena fumed. "When you regenerate the world, my country will be destroyed! I won't let that happen! I swear!"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" asked Colette. "If I regenerate the world, everyone will be saved…right?"

"THIS world will be saved!" Sheena boomed before making a hasty exit.

"This world?" Lloyd repeated. "What did she mean?"

"That girl…is she from…" Kratos started.

"Do you know her?" asked Genis.

"No." he answered sharply. "Let's get out of here."

---

Two days later, we arrived at Luin…to find it in ruins. "This is…" Lloyd started.

"Horrible…" Colette finished. As we searched for survivors, we encountered Sheena near the city fountains. She looked badly injured but she was conscious.

"You!" Genis seethed. "Now you're even over here!"

"As are we, young Spell Caster." said Fin as he, Ann and Hannah came from another part of town.

"What happened?" Lloyd asked Sheena. "You're badly hurt."

"Oh, it's you guys." Said Sheena as she tried to stand up. "If you want to finish me off, now's your chance. I don't have any strength left to fight." The sound of a few swords being unsheathed was absent, much to the Assassin's surprise.

"You're hurt badly—Professor, please…heal her!" Colette pleaded.

"I will." Raine replied before turning to Sheena. But first, I want you to tell us what happened here. It seems she has companions, and this may just be a trap to catch us off guard."

"Professor!" Colette exclaimed in shock.

"Hah, you're as devious as you look." Sheena declared flatly.

"Call me what you like." Raine replied.

"Take a look at this city." said Ann. "Everything's in ruin. The Desians…invaded."

"What!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Do you know about the human ranch northeast of here?" asked Sheena. "The people of this city had been hiding some folks who escaped from the ranch. The Desians found out about it, and not only was the entire population forced to go to the ranch, but the city was completely destroyed."

"So, how were you injured?" asked Colette.

"It's nothing." She replied quickly. "I was just a little clumsy."

"Yeah, she thought she could beat Ann here." said Hannah with a smirk. "Of course, Ann was more than a match for 'Little Miss Sheena' here."

"…" was Sheena's reply.

"Ahh, Help me, please!" We heard a traveler cry out. Everyone looked and saw a traveler being attacked by several monsters. Without thinking twice, Sheena jumped up and readied her cards.

"Stay back, you monster!" She screamed before taking down, inuring herself more in the process. "Ahhh!" She screamed in pain before falling flat on her face.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Kratos noted.

"You're right." Mark Anthony added. "Professor, please heal her."

"Professor, please!" Celes pleaded.

"Fine." She replied. "But I swear, you're all way too softhearted for your own good." With a wave of her staff, Sheena was healed.

"Why…why did you save me?" Sheena asked her.

"Probably for the same reason you saved that man." Lloyd replied with a smile.

"Thanks." She replied, returning the smile. Then the smile vanished. "I know it's a selfish, unreasonable thing to say at this point, but um…I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor?" asked Lloyd.

"I owe the people of this city for food and lodging." She replied. "Please help me save these people. If you agree, I'll declare a truce with you and help in any way I can."

"All right." said Lloyd.

"Lloyd, are you serious?" asked Raine in surprise.

"I agree with Lloyd." Colette declared.

"Colette, not you, too!" Said Raine, clearly horrified.

"What about you?" Lloyd asked Kratos.

"I see no problem with it." The Mercenary replied.

"Ah…um…I'm sorry, Raine!" Genis fumbled.

Fine, do as you wish!" Raine caved. "I suppose if we look at it another way, it does

mean we can keep a close eye on her."

"Heh, you'd better watch out so you don't lose your head while you sleep!" Sheena exclaimed. "I grow tired of your whining like a--"

---

"Hey, hey, there are children present!" Mom cut in. "And of course I, too will be coming along. Terra Ortiz is being held in there. Fin and Hannah explained everything to me while we were here before we ran into Sheena. We hoped to get here in time but by the time we arrived the citizens had already been taken away."

"I see…" Celes said thoughtfully. "So that's why you came to the Wind Seal looking for us."

"That's right." She replied with a grin. "I also found the key to the Tower of Mana. It seems the Tower had been locked when monsters started to appear inside of it."

"Not bad." Dad noted.

"Wait, there's more." She replied. "I can confirm that the Seal at the Tower is the seal of Light."

"That's good to know." Raine replied. "We'll know how best to approach it when the time comes."

"Yes." Said Hannah. "But right now we need to focus on infiltrating the Human Ranch!"

---

And so ends chapter 7. You'll notice here I'm setting everyone up for something MAJOR coming up. You'll have to wait two chapters for it, though—next chapter is all about the Human Ranch and Lloyd and Kratos have what would normally be their Flanoir scene.

I told you before—things will happen that will change how the story unfolds. On that note, be sure to check out Freaky Animal's 'Plot Twist!'


	8. Chapter 8: I Killed Her

---

Chapter 8: "I…killed her…"

---

A/N: This is the entire Asgard Human Ranch plus Lloyd and Kratos have what would normally be their Flanoir Scene. Well...most of it anyways. I know my message at the end of the last chapter has a lot of people worried so hopefully the way I do it here will ease most, if not all of those concerns.

---

"It looks like this is an exsphere manufacturing plant." said Raine once we'd infiltrated the Asgard Ranch.

"So it seem." Kratos noted, his mind clearly somewhere else.

"These are all Exspheres?" asked Lloyd as we looked through a window. "Incredible!"

"I hear voices coming from the next room." Colette whispered suddenly.

"I don't hear anything…" Genis replied.

"Be careful anyway." said Lloyd as we moved away from the window. Suddenly, a door opened and Botta came in with two soldiers.

"You—HERE?!" Botta exclaimed.

"Uh-oh, these are the Desians we ran into in the Triet Desert!" Said Lloyd.

"They still think we're Desians!" One of the Renegades said with a laugh.

"Sir, this is the perfect chance!" The other chipped in.

"Are you looking for a fight?" asked Kratos as he reached for his sword.

"Wait." Botta said his underlings. "Kratos is with them. We'll retreat for now."

"You know each other?" Lloyd asked Kratos.

"I suppose, if you mean the fact that we ran into them at Iselia and Triet." Kratos replied.

"I think it would be in both our interests for us not to fight here." said Botta. "We're outmatched by number alone."

"Do what you will." said Kratos. We parted a bit to let them pass—assuming they planned to leave, anyway. Suddenly, another door opened up and three Desians appeared brandishing magic. Seeing Colette in danger Kratos ran over and deflected the magic with Guardian.

"Super Damage Guard would've been better." Celes noted.

"Colette, Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I'm okay." Colette replied reassuringly.

"There's no time for that!" Kratos exclaimed. "Behind you!" We all turned and saw that another man was now in the room.

"Looks like Botta made the smart move." I said when I noticed he and his two underlings were gone.

"Well, this is a surprise!" The man remarked. "When I heard we had some rats, I assumed it was the Renegade, Botta. Instead I find the wanted inferior beings. I must say that I'm quite impressed that you're still alive after that attack."

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked him as the man walked over to him.

"YOU barge into MY ranch and then demand MY name?" The man replied with a hint of annoyance.

"So much for hearing Lloyd's trademark line, heh, heh…" I said.

"He's Kvar, one of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals." Kratos announced. Then he turned to Lloyd. "And he's real reason your mother isn't here today."

"I see that some of you know me." Kvar said with a laugh. "It's just as Forcystus said. That Exsphere is without a doubt the product of my Angelus Project!" As if on cue more Desians entered the room. Colette threw her Chalkrams at Kvar and he jumped out of the way, granting us an opening.

"Good job, Colette!" Celes cheered as we broke into a run. "Let's go, everyone!" We ran through the open door in search of a means of escaping the Human Ranch. We were now in the large processing room we saw from the other room. After following the catwalk we reached a dead end. That's when all of us saw something that looked like more than good storytelling.

---

"What is this?!" Lloyd exclaimed. What we were looking at were humans going into a chamber and emerging as containers.

"This is where the Exspheres are removed from the host bodies." said Kvar as he came up behind us.

"Do you mean that Exspheres are made from…human bodies?" asked Raine as we all did a 180.

"Not exactly." He replied, returning our attention to the conveyor belt. "Exspheres are dormant at first. They extract nourishment from humans to grow and awaken. Human ranches are Exsphere manufacturing plants. Why else would we spend our time raising and taking care of these inferior beings?" We looked in time to see several children being loaded into the machine along with a pregnant woman. There was a brief outcry before they all went silent.

"That's terrible…" Angel trailed. "You monsters!"

"Terrible is what you've done." Kvar replied. "Stealing and using Exspheres that we've invested so much time and care in creating. You deserve to be punished." The Desians chose that moment to move in, cutting off our retreat.

"Damn, we're surrounded…!" Mark Anthony exclaimed as he unsheathed his sword.

"Lloyd, your Exsphere was to be an offering to Lord Yggdrassil." Kvar declared. "It's time you gave it back!"

"Yggdrassil…I suppose that's the name of your leader." Rain noted.

"Yes..." Kvar replied. "Now, for the sake of our great leader Lord Yggdrassil and for the sake of my own success, I need that Exsphere!"

"What's so special about my Exsphere?" Lloyd asked, clearly annoyed with everyone wanting their hands on it.

"That is the result of years of time-consuming research." Kvar replied. "I can finally reclaim what was stolen by that filthy female host body."

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd probed. Then something clicked in his usually dense brain. "The female host body? You're not talking about…!"

"Hmm…you don't know anything, do you?" Kvar replied with a hint of annoyance. "That Exsphere was cultured on host body A012. Human name: Anna—your mother. She took it and escaped from the facility. Of course, she paid for her crime with her life."

"You killed my…" Lloyd started as his fury began to unleash itself.

"Now, now, don't blame me." Kvar replied. "I'm not the one that killed Anna. Your father did."

"LIAR!" Lloyd boomed as he unsheathed his swords.

"Please..." Kvar retorted. "When her Key Crest-less Exsphere was removed, Anna turned into a monster…and your father killed her. Pathetic, don't you think?"

"…Do not speak ill of the dead." Kratos replied, clearly angered by his words.

"Who cares?" Kvar retorted with a sadistic laugh. "They were both just a couple of filthy humans—inferior beings..."

"Don't you ever talk about my parents like that!" Lloyd seethed.

"Lloyd, I…" Kratos started.

"Now's not the time for that…" Katrin replied with a hint of concern as more Desians entered the room.

"I see you people are here, too." Kvar noted. "If you're looking for death, you've come to the right place."

"I…don't think so." We heard a new voice say. The sound of an arrow pierced the air and nearly hit Kvar, its intended target. We looked up in time to see a new figure descend upon the scene.

"Mom?!" Mark Anthony exclaimed.

"It's good to see you, too." She replied before stringing another arrow. "I was wonder where you all were."

"I'll take it from here." Said Sheena as she took out another Guardian. "I'm going to use the last one, grandpa…" With a wave of her hand we all disappeared from the Human Ranch and re-appeared outside the ranch.

---

"Thank you, Sheena!" I exclaimed. "I really thought we were stuck there."

"Don't mention it." She replied with a smile. "But what are you going to do now?"

"…Let's return to Luin first." Mom replied. "We all have much to talk about."

"I concur." said Kratos, a look of sadness on his face. Upon arriving we pitched camp. That night, just about all of us gave our exspheres a stare-down. Now knowing where they came from, we had good reason to be so hesitant to continue using them.

"I still can't believe Exspheres are made from human lives…" Sheena trailed as she held hers.

"This is Marble's life…" Said Genis as he stared at his.

"Arrgh! This…thing!" Lloyd said as he started to remove his exsphere.

"Lloyd, wait." Colette said as she approached him. "What will you accomplish by taking that off? It's not just an Exsphere. It's also your mother's life, remember?"

"But these things make a mockery of human life." Lloyd replied sadly.

"But we would have lost long ago had we not had them." Kratos cut in.

"Don't you think I know that?!" he shot back as he remembered Kvar's words in the human ranch.

"Do you really?" Kratos probed. "If you throw away that Exsphere now, do you think you can finish this journey?"

"_That Exsphere of yours was cultured on host body A012. Human name: Anna—your mother. When her Key Crest-less Exsphere was removed, Anna turned into a monster…and your father killed her."_

"Yeah, I know." Lloyd replied. "Without these things, we're just a bunch of weak humans. We can fight because we have these. I know that. But Exspheres exist as a result of taking someone's life!"

"Those people didn't become victims because they wanted to, but I doubt they would want to be thrown away after being turned into Exspheres." I noted.

"My opinion may not matter much because I don't use an Exsphere, but I believe the Desians will defeat us if we throw away our Exspheres now." Colette piped up. "And if that happens, more people will lose their lives to these stones. I don't want that to happen. I don't want this journey to be meaningless."

"Colette's right." Kratos added. "We can throw away the Exspheres at any time but right now, we must carry the weight of the hopes and dreams of those victims and fight for their sake as well as ours. Didn't you say you weren't going to hesitate anymore?"

"I just can't!" Lloyd replied sadly. "I know you're right, but…but right now… Let me think by myself for a while, okay?"

"Lloyd?" asked Celes with a hint of concern.

"Let him be." I replied as I put a hand on her shoulder. "This is one thing only a parent can help him with."

---

"Damn it…and night crawlers like to say sleep is for the weak." I mused when I remembered I lost the ability to sleep after releasing the second seal. "I'd daydream but it's the middle of the night…"

"Mom…did you suffer…when this thing took your life?" I heard Lloyd say. "Will you forgive me…for using this?"

"How would you feel?" asked Kratos as he and Noishe joined him by the fire.

"What?" Lloyd asked him.

"If you lost your life to an Exsphere, what would you want done with yourself?" Kratos rephrased. If it were me, I'd want to be useful to someone with the will to break this tragic cycle. Then…perhaps I could atone for some of my sins."

"I see…" Lloyd replied. "How did Mom die? You know, don't you?"

"Anna was a research subject of the Angelus Project." He started. "They were trying to create a Cruxis Crystal inside her body. When I learned of Yggdrassil's plan to create an Age of Lifeless Beings, I turned against him and descended upon this land, where I met Anna."

"So Mom was an experimental subject, just like all those people…" Lloyd trailed.

"After meeting Anna, I realized my mistake in believing that accepting Yggdrassil's vision would be the best thing for the world...and our future together. However, Anna and I were pursued by Desian Soldiers. We traveled from place to place, and when you were born, with you as well, but we were finally caught by Kvar."

"And then Mom was turned into a monster…" Lloyd noted.

"Her Exsphere was removed." Kratos continued. "Lacking a Key Crest, the mana in her body went out of control and she turned into a monster. When it tried to devour you, Noishe protected you and Anna regained control of herself…momentarily."

"Noishe saved me?" Lloyd asked as he looked at the Protozoan.

"That's probably when Noishe became sensitive to monsters." Kratos replied. "Noishe and Anna were both wounded. You mother…begged me to kill her."

"I've heard enough." Lloyd said as tears began to fall.

"Anna went out of control again and turned on you." Kratos continued. "Then I…"

"That's enough!" Lloyd repeated, this time much louder.

"I…killed her." He finished.

"I said, I've heard enough!" He exclaimed. I cringed at the magnitude of his anguish. I knew this was as hard on Kratos telling this as it was Lloyd listening.

"After that, Kvar attacked and then you and Noishe fell down the cliff along with the Exsphere." Kratos continued. "I fought off Kvar and his men, and descended the cliff, but all that was left were the Desian corpses, half-eaten by monsters. I thought there was no way you could still be alive. Everything felt meaningless. I came to think that as long as the land would return to normal, that would be enough…"

"Enough?" Lloyd probed.

"You remind me of Mithos." Kratos replied flatly. "Just like you, Mithos was desperately trying to save the world. He didn't give up. No matter how much he was oppressed, he was hopeful…until the day Martel was killed."

"A hero…that's what people called him." Lloyd noted.

"Yes, but there is a clear difference between you and Mithos." His father replied.

"What?" Lloyd asked him.

"You realize that you are capable of making mistakes." He replied. "Or rather, if you make a mistake, you are capable of acknowledging it. That takes courage. Mithos, as well as I…were unable to do that."

"The courage to acknowledge one's mistakes…" Lloyd repeated thoughtfully.

"We were both incapable of correcting our flawed paths. We gave up on correcting our mistakes. You didn't give up."

"If you truly feel that way, then why didn't you try to find me sooner?" Lloyd probed. I mean--Did you know I was your son the whole time?"

"I realized it when I found Anna's grave at your house." He replied dutifully.. "In that moment I also realized that it was fate that brought us back together and Lloyd…I'm truly sorry for not being that when you needed me."

"It's okay." Lloyd said as he held he mother's keepsake. "Somehow…I knew I'd find out the truth eventually. I think mom would've wanted it this way, too."

"What's important now is your decision about the Exspheres." Kratos said as he stood to leave. "Whatever it takes, you hang on to that exsphere. It's the only living remnant of Anna…your mother left in this world."

"Exspheres…" Lloyd whispered as he gazed into the alluring jewel.

---

"Oh...what a night…" Fin said with a yawn the following morning. "I think I slept on something…"

"Yeah, my Lance." Katrin replied with a smirk.

"Celes, did you sleep last night?" Dad asked suddenly.

"Umm…" She started.

"If it's about the fire, I put it out." Kratos said as he emerged from a tent with Lloyd.

"I see…" he replied with a look of fascination.

"Well, what now?" asked Hannah.

"There is one thing I realized." Lloyd replied. "I'm certain that my mother must have wanted to live longer than she did. Therefore, I'm going to live…for myself, my dad, and for my mom, too."

"In other words, you're going to fight." I noted.

"Yeah, and I'm going to break this cycle." Lloyd replied. "For the sake of preventing anymore victims like Marble and my mom. I'm going to help Colette on her journey to regenerate the world."

"I think you've made a wise decision, Lloyd." Raine noted. "People are sinful beings. That's why we must continue to bear the burden of our sins for as long as we continue to live."

"Life survives at the cost of another?" Sheena remarked. "I don't really know how to say this, but I don't think there's a way to justify the lives sacrificed to make Exspheres. They have to be stopped at all cost!"

"But what are we going to do now?" I asked.

"Kvar will undoubtedly increase the security now." Dad replied. "We won't be able to get in easily."

"There was someone who escaped from the ranch." Mom noted. "He may know another way in."

"I know him." Sheena replied. "His name is Pietro. He should still be in Hima."

"That's a long way from here but it's our best bet." said Katrin as she looked at the map. "If we hurry, we can be there and back in about a week."

---

"I don't see why all of us have to go." I replied.

"What do you mean?" asked Colette.

"Well, we do have a fairly large group." I said. "That and there is the possibility Kvar may send Desians here or to Asgard to find us. I think it would be wise if some of us remained behind."

"Sounds like a plan." Ann replied. "Though Lloyd, Genis, Colette, Raine, Kratos and Sheena have to go no matter what. That makes six so why not six more?"

"Out of our part of the group, we have myself, Hannah, Mark Anthony and Celes who fight with a sword." I added. "Katrin fights with a Lance though she is a strong Healer and her twin brother Finnaran Xavier fights without weapons. Terra is a skilled Archer, Ann-Marie is a Necromancer, Summoner and Spellcaster in one and Angel…you all know very well what she can do."

"Ted, why don't you decide?" Lloyd suggested. "It sounds once again like you have something planned."

"In that case, I'd recommend four people go with the others while the rest of our group stay here." I replied. "And those four people would be Terra, Mark Anthony, Ann-Marie and Celes."

"Ted!" Hannah exclaimed. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Without you or me at least…"

"I have my reasons for choosing them to go." I replied. "Those…and Mark Anthony and Celes have some things they need to talk about with their mothers."

----

Now I end the chapter here. Next chapter is Hima, the Human Ranch and the pact with Undine. The Light Temple, Sylph and Efreet are Chapter 10 plus that big plot twist I've been telling you about up to now happens, heh, heh, heh…


	9. Chapter 9: Domestic Disturbance

---

Chapter 9: Domestic Disputes

---

A/N: The title is SLIGHTLY misleading but meh, you've come to expect that by now I hope!

Like I mentioned before, this covers Hima, the Asgard Ranch and the pact with Undine. I mentioned last chapter that Ann-Marie is a Necromancer and possesses the right of Summoning. Relax: Only Sheena will form pacts with the Summon Spirits. I was seriously considering giving half of the pacts to Ann, though. What changed my mind was remembering she possesses a copy of the Necronomicon…

---

"Sheena!" Sophia exclaimed when we arrived at the Inn in Hima.

"How's Pietro?" She asked.

"He passed away." Sophia replied. Everyone looked up in shock. When Genis questioned her about his last words, she hesitated and pointed us in the direction of his grave.

"I suppose digging up the grave is out of the question…" Raine noted as we stood before Pietro's grave.

"I have much respect for the dead myself." Ann noted.

"Anyway, let's pray." said Colette as she began to kneel. That's when approaching footsteps caught everyone's attention.

"_Chosen…mana…d…die."_

---

"W…what's he saying?" asked Mom.

"Pietro!" Sheena exclaimed in surprise. "I heard you were dead…" The we saw Sophia coming. She didn't look to surprised to see him, though.

"_Chosen…die…angel…die… Human…ranch…underground_…" he muttered.

"You mustn't come out here." Sophia said as she took his hand. "Let's go."

"You lied to us." Terra said sharply. "He's the one I helped escape from the ranch!" Everyone looked at both mom and Pietro in shock.

"Really?!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Please tell me, how did you get away from the human ranch?"

"_Boulder…big…underground…jewel…boulder…move…Chosen_…" the man replied.

"What are you saying?" asked Genis in confusion.

"Is that…the escape route?" asked Kratos.

"…Please, let him be!" Sophia exclaimed.

"Now you listen!" Terra exclaimed. "You may be happy just protecting Pietro, but because of this guy name Kvar, countless people from Luin are dead! How about helping us just a little?"

"I'm sure Pietro has many things he wants to say as well but because of the curse, he's been turned into this…" Sophia trailed.

"But he's still alive." Mom noted. "The dead can't even tell us that they were scared. Please, help us."

"We want to go to the ranch." Colette stated. "If it's possible to get out, it's possible to get back in, right?"

"I'm willing to help you." She caved. "But in exchange, lift his curse. The healing technique left behind by Boltzman is in the Tower of Mana. That may be able to cure his curse."

"All right, but infiltrating the ranch comes first." Raine replied with a nod. "That's one thing I won't relinquish."

"When he escaped from the ranch, he said he came out through the front yard and he blocked the exit with a boulder." Sophia explained. "His things are in the grave…take them with you." And with that she and Pietro took their leave of us and retreated to the Inn.

"Was there a boulder there?" asked Genis.

"I do recall something that seemed unnatural." Kratos noted thoughtfully.

"Let's go check it out!" Colette urged.

"I agree." Lloyd added. "Everyone, let's go!"

"We'll go on ahead and let the others know to meet us at the ranch." I said as mom and I sprouted wings. "I'm sure they don't want to miss this!" Then I noticed everyone looking at mom's wings.

"What, don't tell me you've never seen someone with wings before?" she asked jokingly before lifting off. "We'll see you at the ranch!"

---

"Where the hell did all these monsters come from?!" Hannah exclaimed before slicing several giant grasshoppers in two.

"Your guess is as good as mine but Mithos picked a bad time to piss me off!" I replied as I fought off a pair of skeletons.

"There's no end to them!" Fin exclaimed. "I think we're going to need some backup!"

"Or we can just get serious." Angel replied before she began a new spell. "I call upon the infinite powers of the universe. Heed my call and grant me thy strength—Meteor Storm!" And with that the monsters pummeled with Angel's most powerful non-elemental spell. The smarter ones stopped attacking and ran for cover.

"Here's a step up from that." said Fin after throttling several monsters at once. "Aftershock!" He slammed his fists into the ground, causing the land where all the monsters were to split open, knocking them off their feet. "Katrin, you're up!"

"I call upon the powers of the Red Flame!" She chanted. "Heed my call and destroy the enemy—Fire Spin!" With a wave of her lance, all the monsters were now on fire. The ones weak against fire were incinerated almost instantly.

"Time to end this!" I exclaimed as I held up the Time Blade. "Hydro Cannon!" The fast moving water engulfed the remaining monsters, ridding us of them for good.

"In the offset that THAT failed, Frenzy Plant would've finished them." Hannah said with a chuckle.

"What I don't get is why those monsters showed up so suddenly." Katrin remarked. "It's not like Colette is with us or something. I don't think Kvar sent them, either."

"I agree." I replied. "Let's just say Mithos' timing was bad to tick me off. When we get to the Tower of Salvation I'll really let him have it!"

"What did we miss?" asked Ann as she, Terra, Celes and Mark Anthony arrived.

"Just a bunch of pests courtesy of Mithos." Hannah replied. This earned a look of surprise from them all.

"It seems we'll need to be very careful weather we're together or split up." Celes remarked. "And this proves that Mithos definitely knows we're here."

---

"I've found you, Kvar!" Lloyd said as we entered the Ranch's control room. We looked and saw that he was speaking to someone using a projector.

"So, this is Lloyd." The woman he was speaking with said. "I see…he does bear a resemblance." Obviously, this was in referral to Kratos.

"So, you've come. " Kvar said in acknowledging our presence. The he returned his attention to his other 'guest' "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't change the subject, Pronyma! It's clear you've been stealing research data from MY Angelus Project."

"I grow tired of you accusations, Kvar." She replied, clearly annoyed. "As I have told you, I know nothing of it."

" …Stubborn woman." Kvar retorted. "I suppose I should expect no less from one who usurped the leadership of the Five Grand Cardinals. Take heed, Pronyma: Once I retrieve the Exsphere from this inferior being, I will become the leader of the Five Grand Cardinals. When that happens, you'll be begging for my forgiveness."

"You speak nonsense, Kvar." Pronyma replied dismissively. "I've also heard that Rodyle has talked you into joining him in one of his schemes, but it would be best not to believe that you can deceive Lord Yggdrassil for long."

"So the Mana Cannon is no longer a secret." Kvar remarked. "Well, it doesn't matter…" Then he turned to face us at last. "Once I succeed in retrieving that Exsphere, any suspicions I might have been under will be but a distant memory."

"Get ready!" Kratos exclaimed as he unsheathed his sword.

"You're not gonna take this from me!" Lloyd boomed before he and Kratos made short work of the man who ruined both their lives. "…I did it, Mom." He said as he touched his exsphere. "You've been avenged!"

"We've learned of Chocolat's location." Katrin reported after she and Raine hacked the computer database.

"Really?" Lloyd asked as he walked over.

"Look out!" Colette suddenly exclaimed. We looked and saw Kvar about to attack Mark Anthony. I ran over and shoved him out the way…and into Colette, who he managed to hit with his staff.

"Colette!" Lloyd exclaimed in horror. He ran over and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Lloyd…are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but you're…" He trailed.

"I'm fine, really." Colette replied as if nothing had happened.

---

"You're not going anywhere!" Sheena said as she and Ann blocked Kvar from escaping.

"…You bastard!" Lloyd said as he unsheathed his sword. In that moment, _"He Tried to Play Me"_ by Cam'ron played in my head. For legal reasons there will be no lyrics here. Let's just say Kvar tried to play us and things got all crazy and things just weren't the same. So Lloyd and Kratos ran up on him and pulled their swords out and they carved out his brains…heh, heh.

"Kratos…you pathetic, inferior being!" He spat. "This simply enraged both of them further.

"Feel the pain…" Kratos said as he struck him. "…of those inferior beings…" He continued. "…as you burn in hell!" After that, Kvar's barely recognizable body finally hit the floor.

"Looks like he's getting a closed casket funeral…" I remarked with a laugh. Then our attention was returned to Colette, who ate Kvar's last blow.

"Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm really okay." She replied while holding her shoulder. "For some reason, it doesn't hurt."

"You certainly are not okay!" Sheena exclaimed. "Raine, you can use your healing arts, right?!"

"Yes, but!…" Raine replied, still in shock at what Colette was saying.

"Colette. I can't keep it a secret any longer!" Lloyd said suddenly. All eyes went to him. "Everyone, listen to what I have to say! Colette can no longer feel anything."

"What--What do you mean?" asked Genis.

"Colette is growing closer to becoming an angel." Lloyd replied. "Now, she can't sleep or feel hot or cold or pain or anything. She can't even cry! Becoming an angel means her losing her humanity!"

"Lloyd, it's okay." Colette said. "I'm okay, so…right now, we need to do something about this ranch. Right, Lloyd?"

"Professor, can you destroy it like last time?" He asked Raine.

"I'll give it a try." She replied as she and Katrin went over to the control panel.

"…That's kind of extreme, but I supposed it is the best idea." Sheena remarked. After setting it to blow, we all ran out of the building just in time to watch the fireworks from a safe distance. To Lloyd and Kratos, this was more than just another Human Ranch destroyed…

---

"So each time Colette releases a seal and takes a step closer to becoming an angel, she loses a part of what makes her human?" Sheena asked after we took turns bringing her up to speed.

"Losing her humanity…that's terrible!" Genis exclaimed, "Then, what's going to happen to her in the end?"

"What IS going to happen to her in the end?" Lloyd repeated as he looked in Dad, Hannah and Kratos' direction.

"Not only that but after she regenerates the world, she'll be all alone as the only angel in the world." Said Angel. "That's too cruel…"

"Ah…that's…" Raine started.

"Professor, it's okay." Colette cut in from her bed.

"But Colette…" Raine trailed.

"I'm sorry to worry everyone and right now, things are a little difficult but once I become a complete angel it may be a lot easier." Colette said. "So don't worry. It'll be okay."

"But it is too hard on you!" Sheena exclaimed. If you're tired, you want to sleep, don't you? Don't you miss the taste of the foods you like?"

"And you can't even feel the warmth of someone when you hold their hand…" Celes trailed. "Sometimes I wonder if you should just stop this crazy world regeneration!"

"Thank you Sheena and Celes but if I quit now, all the people suffering throughout the world won't be saved." She replied. "I was born for the sake of the world regeneration, so I'm going to make sure I do my job, okay?"

"Yes…that is the fate of the Chosen." Kratos noted dutifully. I shot him a 'just what are you planning?' look.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Lloyd. "Find some way where Colette doesn't have to become an angel?"

"The world will be regenerated when the Chosen becomes an angel." Colette explained. "It's always been like that…and it probably always will be so…"

"So you're really okay with things the way they are now?" Lloyd asked her.

"Yes." She replied without hesitation. "I'm going to become an angel. That's what Father wants, too."

"Mind if I ask which one?" I asked.

" I'm sure both of them do." She replied.

"All right, but the path you've chosen is not going to be easy, you know." Raine reminded her.

"Tell me about it…" Celes trailed with a sigh.

"I won't accept this." Lloyd said as he stood. "There has to be another way."

"As Colette and Raine said, there isn't." Dad repeated. "And Colette has already made up her mind on the World Regeneration Journey. I know some of you may have noticed Celes suffering from the Toxicosis as well. We're not exactly sure why considering we're not even from Sylverant."

"One could call it some sort of stigmata." Katrin noted. "Though to be honest we're all anxious to see what happens when the journey reaches its conclusion."

"In that case, why don't we head over to the Tower of Mana?" Hannah suggested. "It is the location of the next seal, after all."

"I agree, but why don't we Quick Jump?" Ann suggested.

"I thought that only works if we've been there before?" I asked.

"Who says I haven't been there?" she replied with a grin as she opened her book.

---

"Talk about a rush…" Lloyd said after we arrived in front of the Tower of Mana almost instantly.

"This is simply marvelous!" Raine exclaimed as we came to the door of the tower. "So this is the Tower of Mana…built to gaze upon the Tower of Salvation!"

"Yes, I think it is." Colette replied.

"Sounds like Raine's in Ruin Mode again!" Angel exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure I told you not to say that anymore." Said Katrin with a frown.

"Um…what's that?" asked Lloyd.

"Honestly, Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed in horror. "We studied it in class before!"

"It's a tower that was used as a temple by the Church of Martel to offer prayers to the tower of Salvation." Colette stated, more or less for the benefit of our group. "Although, it was closed a long time ago since monsters started appearing inside."

"I simply must go inside…" Raine said, not even hearing what Colette and Lloyd just said.

"According to the Book of Regeneration, it's very likely that this is a seal." said Colette.

"But there's no oracle stone." Genis stated.

"Now that I think of it, the last three seals did have an Oracle Stone outside of them." Mark Anthony noted.

"Trust me, this is it." Ann added. "We didn't come all the way here for nothing."

"Hmm…at any rate, let us proceed further." Kratos suggested. We opened the door and stepped inside. Upon seeing the rows and rows of books Raine and Katrin went nuts.

"Wow, that's a lot of books!" Genis exclaimed.

"Ohh! Just think of all the knowledge contained within those books!" Raine exclaimed as she and Katrin began to run around the room.

"Hey, look what I found!" Katrin exclaimed suddenly. We ran over and saw that she was holding a book.

"Is that…?" Genis started.

"Yes." Raine finished as she took it. "With this, I think I can help Pietro. I still require something with which I can strengthen my healing powers. Maybe a Unicorn Horn or something…"

"Some say you can see the visage of a Unicorn at Lake Umacy east of here." Sheena noted. "It's worth checking out later."

"Hey, It's an oracle stone!" Lloyd said after wandering over to the middle of the room. We all went over and gathered around.

"It's just as written in the Book of Regeneration." Raine confirmed, "This is a seal! Colette, if you would, please?"

"Yes, Professor." She said before putting her hand on it. The device in front of the Oracle Stone stirred to life but the door stayed shut.

"…It didn't open." Said Lloyd.

"No, look at that magic circle." Fin pointed out.

"It seems this apparatus has awoken due to the oracle stone." Said Raine.

"So we just need to do something with that apparatus, right?" asked Genis.

"So it would seem." Hannah noted.

"This looks interesting…" Raine said thoughtfully. Hannah, stand on that blue circle."

"What? Uh, okay." Hannah said before going over to it.

"Ted, you go to that one." She instructed.

"Okay." I said before standing on it. When Raine herself stood on the last one the door on the right opened.

"Oh!" Lloyd, Genis and Colette exclaimed in unison.

"Wow, It opened, Professor!" Lloyd exclaimed, When Raine stepped off the door closed again.

"It seems that it won't open without three people on these circles." I said.

"Which means that three of us must remain here." Said Kratos. "It's dangerous, but we have little choice."

"Yes, we wouldn't want the door to be closed when we come back out." said Terra.

"Well, Colette definitely has to go." said Celes.

"I can wait." said Terra.

"Same here." Said Hannah.

"Me, too." Said Fin.

"That's three then." I said.

"I'm staying too," said Katrin. "I want to at least get started with some of these books to see if there's anything of use in them."

"You just read my mind." Ann said with a laugh. "At least we'll get through them faster!"

---

After two roadblocks in two parts of the tower we were finally on the roof. One look over the side told us falling would definitely hurt. "Why couldn't you just fly up here?" Lloyd asked dad.

"What good would that do me if Colette still had to go through the Tower of Mana?" He replied.

"It's mana…powerful mana is coming out!" Genis exclaimed as we approached the seal. We then to fight a monster called Iubaris. After slaying the monstrosity the seal was released.

_"Chosen of Regeneration, you have done well in reaching this far."_ We heard the familiar voice of Remiel say. _"Now, offer your prayers at the altar."_ After offering her prayer and floating into the air we were all surprised to see Luna appear!

"Where…is Aska?" She asked us.

"Whoa, it talked!" Lloyd exclaimed in surprise.

"Lloyd, that's a Summon Spirit!" Mom exclaimed excitedly. "She's one of the Summon Spirits of light!"

"Really?!" Sheena replied in similar fashion.

"Yes." Mom replied. "Although it seems now is not the time to form a pact with her."

"Without Aska, I cannot do anything—I cannot form a pact or a vow…" She said. "Please…find Aska…in order to restore my power." With that she disappeared. Soon after, Remiel made his presence known.

"Your journey has been long." He said to Colette. "You have done well to reach this far, Colette, the Chosen one!"

"Thank you…Lord Remiel." She replied.

"Let us grant you our blessing." He said before giving her (and me) more Angelic Powers. "You have taken another step closer to becoming an angel, yet you seem anxious."

"Ah…no." Colette replied. "I'm very happy."

"Hmm…" He said thoughtfully, more to himself. "Now, Chosen One. Your journey is finally drawing to a close. It is time for you to rejoice. The path to the Tower of Salvation is open! Head to the Tower of Salvation and offer your prayers of regeneration! Then, you will be able to climb the stairway of heaven."

"The Tower of Salvation?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"The world regeneration is finally going to take place." Genis said.

"Is regeneration…really going to happen?" asked Sheena.

"I shall do as you instruct, Lord Remiel!" Colette declared.

"I shall await you at the final seal." Remiel said as he made his leave of us. "Colette…my daughter. There, you will become an angel, like me." Colette then returned to the ground and rejoined us.

"The end is finally in sight." Kratos declared. "Let's head to the Tower of Salvation."

"Colette…Are you sure?" asked Raine with a hint of concern.

"Yes, I'm fine." Colette replied with a hint of urgency. She and I then learned Sacrifice.

---

"Everyone, I have something to say." Sheena said later that night as Colette and Celes underwent the Toxicosis again. Colette lost her voice and Celes seemed to have some bad 'flu-like symptoms', according to Katrin and Ann. "I want to explain to everyone why I was trying to assassinate the Chosen."

"All right." Raine replied. "We're listening. Tell us about your homeland. A land that doesn't exist in this world."

"You knew?!" Sheena exclaimed.

"No, but you said it yourself that Sylverant will be saved." Raine replied. "That must mean you aren't from Sylverant."

"Yeah…you know it's really a shame that your intellect's being wasted here." Sheena said with a laugh. "You're right. My homeland is not here, not in Sylverant."

"What does that mean?" asked Genis.

"My world is called Tethe'alla." Sheena declared.

"Tethe'alla? You mean the moon?" He asked again.

"Haha, of course not." She replied. "My world isn't on the moon. Even I really don't understand the specifics, but there is another world that lies entwined with Sylverant, as shadow is to light. That's Tethe'alla…my world."

'Two entwined worlds?" asked Raine.

"The two worlds lie directly adjacent to each other." She explained. "They just can't see one another. Our scholars say they exist on shifted dimensions. Anyway, the two worlds can't see or touch each other, but they do in fact exist next to and affect each other."

"What do you mean, 'affect each other'?" asked Terra.

"They vie for the supply of mana." she replied. "When one world weakens, the mana from that world flows to the other. As a result, one world is always flourishing, and the other waning. Sort of like an hourglass."

"Wait, so, right now Sylverant is…" Genis trailed as he stood.

"Yeah." Sheena confirmed. "Sylvarant's mana is flowing to Tethe'alla. Therefore, Sylverant is in decline. Without mana, crops won't grow and magic becomes unusable. If there is no mana, the Summon Spirits that protect the world alongside the Goddess Martel can't survive in Sylverant either. As a result, the world slips even further down the path of destruction."

"Then the Chosen's world regeneration is actually the process of reversing the mana flow?" asked Raine.

"Exactly." Sheena replied. "When the Chosen breaks the seal, the mana flow reverses, and the Summon Spirit that governs the seal awakens. I was sent to prevent the world regeneration from happening. I broke through the supposedly impassable dimensional fissure for the sake of protecting Tethe'alla."

"In other words, to assure the decline and destruction of Sylverant." Lloyd stated as he and Colette stood.

"You can say that, but your journey of regeneration is also an attempt to destroy Tethe'alla." She shot back. "We're both doing the same thing."

"It's hard for me to believe all of this." Raine said as she rubbed her head.

"I'm the proof." Sheena replied. "I possess summoning arts that have been lost from this world." Colette shot her a look of surprise. "Please don't look at me like that, Colette. I know that wasn't your intention. I don't know what I should do either. I came here to protect Tethe'alla, but this world is impoverished and everyone is suffering. But if I allow the world regeneration to occur, then Tethe'alla will become just like this."

"But right now, you're helping us…right?" asked Genis with a look of concern.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I can just abandon Tethe'alla!" she exclaimed. "I…I don't know what to do. Isn't there any other way? A way for Sylverant, Tethe'alla, and Colette to all be happy?!"

"I want to know, too!" Lloyd chipped in.

"Have you considered that perhaps nothing that convenient exists in the real world?" Kratos and Dad said in unison.

"The best thing we can do right now is to save Sylverant from its current crisis." Kratos stated.

"What if we don't regenerate the world and just defeat the Desians?" asked Lloyd.

"Although we succeeded in destroying three ranches, we cannot possibly eliminate all the Desians." He replied. "The mana will eventually be exhausted."

"Is mana really that important?" I asked in surprise.

"I suppose only magic users and scholars worry about it, but mana is even more important to life than water." Said Genis. "Without it, the land will die. Mana is the source material which composes everything. At least that's what I've been taught."

"Unfortunately, the Giant Tree of ever-flowing mana in fairy tales doesn't exist in the real world." Raine stated flatly. "We live by chipping away at the limited amount of available mana. Why do you think the ancient magitechnology was lost?"

"Because mana disappeared from the world." Sheena replied.

"Correct, and Magitechnology consumes large amounts of mana." said Raine. 'If things continue the way they are now, Sylverant will eventually loose its mana just as it lost its magitechnology, and be destroyed."

The Colette began to write something in Lloyd's Hand: "Remiel…Ah! You're trying to spell something, right?" Lloyd noted as Colette continues her finger writing.  
I'll…try…asking…Remiel…if…there's…a…way…to…save…the two…worlds."

"If it doesn't work out…I may have to kill you after all." Sheena declared. Everyone looked at her with interest.

"Sheena!" Genis exclaimed.

"When that time comes I may fight back because I love Sylverant too." Was Colette's reply.

"I understand." Said Sheena with a look of surprise. "You intend to become an angel, no matter what, don't you?"

---

"Guys, there's something you all should know." said Katrin ask she, Ann and Celes emerged from their tent. The look on their faces told us it was serious.

"For some reason, I'm afraid to ask what." I remarked. When Ann and Katrin moved aside I knew why.

"That's impossible!" Fin exclaimed.

"H-How could this be happening?" asked Hannah. "We all know you didn't do anything to cause this!"

"Tell me about it." Celes replied as she rubbed her glowing Cruxis Crystal. "I didn't even know it was there until we released the last seal. It's reacting to something but I don't know what."

"It's probably because like Sheena, we aren't from Sylverant." Hannah said thoughtfully. "It might be possible that her body is rejecting the Crystal and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mark Anthony exclaimed. "Say any further and you're going to spoil what's supposed to happen much later on!"

"In any case, we should probably call it a night." I suggested as I rubbed my head. "Some of us have had a pretty rough day."

---

"Wow, So there are still unicorns left on this side!" Sheena exclaimed when we saw the Unicorn at Lake Umacy. This earned a stare from the Sylverant Team.

"I wonder if we can make contact with it?" Raine wondered aloud.

'The Unicorn Horn?" Kratos asked her.

"Yes." She confirmed. "In order to use Master Boltzman's healing technique, we need the Unicorn Horn."

"But how can we get over there?" asked Genis.

"Can we just swim to it?" asked Lloyd.

"You won't be able to hold your breath that long." Genis replied flatly.

"Dad, you can walk over there, right?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied without moving.

"Why don't you go over there right now then?" Terra suggested.

"Because I am not the one the Unicorn should be seeing." He replied sternly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ann.

"I think you know as well as I." He replied. "Or maybe you think summoning Niagara will help?"

"Point taken." she said with a look of helplessness. "This is one time my summoning skills can't be put to use."

"Isn't there anything we can do?!" Lloyd asked in frustration.

"There is a way." Sheena said suddenly.

"What did you say?" asked Raine as everyone turned to her.

"We could summon Undine, who exists somewhere in this world to control the water's mana." Sheena replied.

"Undine…you mean the Summon Spirit?" asked Lloyd.

"Do you have a pact with her?" asked Ann hopefully.

"I…I haven't formed a pact yet, but if I can form the pact then…I can summon." She replied sheepishly.

"Now that you mention it, you did say you could use summoning techniques." Genis remarked. "Are you a summoner like Ann?"

"I'm a guardian user!" Sheena shot back. "But I can summon, too."

"I'd heard that the art of summoning was lost a very long time ago…" Raine noted.

"Well, it still exists." Sheena replied curtly. "Anyway, if you're not interested, I'm not going to force you…"

"No, we need the Unicorn Horn." Said Lloyd. "Please do it, Sheena."

"A…all right." She replied. "Then let's go to the Seal of Water. Undine should be at the seal."

"The Thoda Geyser, right?" asked Angel. "Let's go!" as everyone walked toward Asgard, Raine, Kratos, Dad and Mom brought up the rear.

"This is quite a detour." Kratos remarked.

"Yes." Raine agreed.

"Why can't we quick jump?" asked Dad.

"Because I've never been there before." Mom replied with a laugh. "Why don't you just fly there?"

"Because there's no good places to land." He replied in similar fashion.

---

"Sheena, Please do that pact…thing." Lloyd said when we were once again before the water seal.

"Okay, I'll do my best." She replied bravely. "Although I'm a little scared." As she approached the seal, Undine appeared before us.

"You who possess the right of the pact." Undine started. "I am one who is bound to Mithos. What is your name?"

"Mithos? The hero of the Kharlan War?" asked Lloyd in surprise.

"Not only was Mithos a swordsman, he had the ability to summon as well?" asked Genis.

"Mithos is a common boy's name." Raine noted. "It's not necessarily Mithos the Hero."

"I am Sheena Fujibayashi!" Sheen declared. "I seek a pact with Undine!"

"As things stand now…I cannot." The Water Spirit replied. "I am already bound by a pact. I cannot form two pacts at the same time."

"You mean your pact with that Mithos guy…?" Sheena asked in shock. The she turned to the rest of us for advice. "What am I supposed to do now?! They never said anything about this at the research institute!"

"Um…hmm." Ann said thoughtfully. "Can't you just get her to cancel the old pact?"

"How?!" asked Sheena. "We don't even have any idea where this Mithos person is!"

"A Summon Spirit pact requires a vow." Kratos stated. "As long as the pact-maker upholds that vow, the pact remains valid."

"That is correct." Undine confirmed.

"I know about that." Sheena confirmed. "The Summon Spirit approves the pact-maker's vow and agrees to the pact."

"Exactly." Kratos continued. "Therefore, all you need to do is follow Ann's advice and request the annulment of the previous pact and form a new one. It's possible the previous pact-maker has broken his vow. Or he may have…already passed away."

"Is it really that simple?" asked Genis in amazement.

"I suppose you could call it simple." Kratos stated. "But if the previous pact-maker is still alive and hasn't broken his vow, then there's nothing we can do about it."

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." She replied as she turned back to Undine. "Undine, I am Sheena Fujibayashi! I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact…with me."

"Before I can allow the formation of a new pact, I must test your worthiness as a pact maker." The summon spirit replied. "Draw your weapons."

"What?" said Lloyd with a look of surprise. "We have to fight?!"

"Let it begin!" Undine cried as she unsheathed her sword. Sheena, Genis, Mark Anthony and Terra made short work of her. After getting in several good hits she thre in the towel and accepted defeat. "Now, swear your vow. Upon what vow do you wish to form our pact?"

"Right now, at this very moment, there are people who are suffering." Sheena began. "I vow to save those people."

"Understood," Undine replied. "I pledge my power to you, Sheena!" Undine then turned into the Aquamarine Pact Ring, which Sheena accepted.

"Sheena, you did it!" Genis cheered.

"Not bad at all." Ann added.

"Okay, now we can finally meet the unicorn!" Lloyd exclaimed. "And maybe we can get Colette healed, too."

"Is anybody up for a little Quick Jump?" I suggested.

"Kratos, you have an impressive array of knowledge." Raine remarked.

"I had an acquaintance who knew a bit about Summon Spirits." He replied. "That's all."

---

Later, back at Lake Umacy…

"Okay, go on, Sheena!" Lloyd exclaimed excitedly. "Ask Undine to take us over there."

"Wait." Dad said suddenly "That's not going to work." This earned an odd look from everyone but Kratos, Raine and Katrin.

"Why not?" asked Angel.

"The unicorn…can only be approached by a pure maiden." Katrin replied.

"At the very least Lloyd, Genis, Fin, Ted and I are out." Kratos added.

"Hmmm…so only females can go?" Lloyd said with a look of frustration.

"So then just Raine, Katrin, Ann, Terra and…" Genis started.

"I'll…pass." Raine said suddenly.

"Me too." Ann, Hannah and Terra said almost in unison.

"We can't send Colette alone while she's like this…" Celes said with a look of concern. Then all eyes fell on Sheena.

"Hey!" She snapped at us. "Are you saying that I'm not qualified?!"

"Qualified?" Lloyd, Genis, Mark Anthony and Angel asked with a snicker.

"You don't have to all say it at once!" She exclaimed in disgust.

"Then we shall send Colette, Celes, Angel and Sheena." Said Kratos.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to wait here too." I said. That earned a look from the Symphonia Team, but fortunately no one said anything.

"Colette, Angel and Sheena then." Said Hannah.

Why can't Terra, Hannah, Celes, Ann and the Professor go?" I heard Lloyd asked Kratos.

"Because we're adults." Raine replied.

"And Terra and I are the mothers of some people here." Ann added.

"I've got a son where I'm from." Said Hannah,

"And I have two daughters." I finished. More awkward silence.

"O…okay then." Sheena said cautiously. "I'm going to summon now!" She walked over to the lake and put on the Aquamarine Pact Ring. "My name is Sheena Fujibayashi. I call upon the Maiden of the Mist. As proof of my power I present the ring of the pact! I summon thee! Come, Undine!" There was a flash of light as Undine appeared upon the lake. "Please, Undine. Take us to the unicorn."

"As you wish." The summon spirit replied. "To the lake…"

---

"Sheena, are you crying?" Mark Anthony asked when the girls returned.

"The unicorn…gave us his horn…" she managed between sobs.

"…I see." Katrin replied. "Then the unicorn is dead."

"You knew?!" Sheena exclaimed.

"When a unicorn loses its horn, it dies." Raine explained, "By dying, a new unicorn is born. That's why the unicorn is the symbol of death and rebirth."

"A new unicorn will be born?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, I'm sure one has been." She replied.

"The unicorn gave us this horn at the cost of his life." Said Fin. "We must make good use of it."

"Yeah!" Genis piped up. "Now we might be able to get Celes and Colette back to normal!"

"No." Celes said flatly.

"WHAT?!" Mark Anthony exclaimed in shock.

"I still haven't finished regenerating the world." "Colette wrote into Lloyd' hand. "So please use this for Pietro."

"All right, if that's what you want…" Lloyd said with a look of worry. Angel then handed the Unicorn Horn to Raine. Almost instantly she learned Resurrection.

"It seems I've acquired some new healing arts thanks to this horn." Raine said with a smile.

"Now, with this we can save Pietro…" Sheena trailed.

"Yes…with this Unicorn Horn and Boltzman's Book, I'm sure we can save him this time." Raine added before turning to Colette and Sheena. "Wait just a little longer. I promise we'll fulfill your wish."

"So where do we go next?" I asked.

"I'd say Hima." Mom replied. "We'll be able to get info on how to get TO the tower…"

"I see…" Hannah said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" asked Fin.

"Just an idle thought." She replied, apparently still lost in it…

---

Now this is officially the longest chapter I've EVER done: 20 Pages on MS Word! At 105KB you know it's a real piece of work, lol. Next chapter, the party goes to the Tower of Salvation and…PLOT TWIST! I'm not saying anything else: Stay Tuned!


	10. Chapter 10: No Freaking Way

---

Chapter 10: No…Freaking…Way…

---

A/N: The title says it all! You're not going to BELIEVE what happens when the party gets to the Tower of Salvation. I know, of course but for everyone else, READ ON!

---

"Everyone, the healing technique…!" Sophia said upon our return.

"We found it." Said Sheena

"I'm going to try it now, all right?" Raine instructed everyone got out of the way and with one use of Resurrection, he was awake.

"Where am…" He stirred as he sat up.

"He woke up!" Sophia cried with joy. "Thank goodness!"

"Sophia! Then…I reached Hima?!" He asked.

"Yes, Pietro!" she replied. Sheena and Raine…they saved you.

"Ah, don't mention it…and besides, the reason you regained consciousness is because of Raine here." Sheena replied modestly. "If you're going to thank someone, thank her."

"Oh, I see…Thank you so much." He said. "Now I can await the Chosen."

"The Chosen?" Sophia asked. "What do you mean?"

"The reason I broke out of the ranch was because I have something I need to tell the Chosen." He said.

"If you're looking for the Chosen, she's right here." Genis said, pointing to Colette.

"Oh, Goddess Martel!" Pietro cried. "Thank you! The Desians are trying to revive something called the Angelus Project. They're also developing a weapon called the Mana Cannon."

"Mana Cannon?" Kratos asked with a look of interest. "Do you mean Thor's Hammer, from the Ancient War?"

"I don't know the details." He replied. "They are using things called Exspheres in these sinister experiments." Then he fell to his knees before us. "Please, stop this Angelus Project with the power of the Chosen, and save us all!"

"Relax." Said Angel. "We defeated Kvar and we rescued the people who were held captive."

"It's because of that jewel you had." Said Sheena.

"I knew we could count on the Chosen!" he exclaimed with joy.

"But I'm concerned about the Mana Cannon." Raine said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but we won't get anywhere pondering it here." Kratos remarked.

"That, and now isn't the time to deal with it." Mark Anthony muttered. While we were outside we knew we had to come up with a plan for what to do next.

"You can get a good view of the Tower of Salvation from the mountain in the back of this village." Raine noted. "Let's have a good look at the Tower of Salvation and think about what we're all going to do." While up there we spoke with a guy who planned to do Dragon Tours and Lloyd's quick thinking gave us a means of getting to the Tower of Salvation.

"I'll ready six high-class dragons for you on your next visit!" The Tour Guy said when we told him we were the Chosen's Party. "Of course, I will not accept any money! However…"

"What is it?" asked Terra.

"I've heard that the area around the Tower of Salvation is dangerous, so…" He trailed. "If you could just…I mean--my cute little dragons are…"

"Not a problem." Raine replied. "When we reach our destination, we'll return the dragons to you. Is that all right with everyone?"

"I have no objections." Said Kratos.

"Some of us have wings, heh." said Celes.

"Yeah, and we'll figure out how to get back when the time comes." Mark Anthony added.

"I understand." The Tour Guy said. "Well then, I shall await you all here whenever you're ready. There are preparations to make, so I'll take leave."

---

"So why are we back here again?" Lloyd repeated for the 5th time upon our arriving at the Triet Ruins.

"So Sheena can make a pact with Efreet, the Summon Spirit of Fire." I replied. "Now shut up and stop asking that!"

"Okay…I'll give it a shot." Sheena said, returning our attention to Efreet, who appeared before us.

"You who possess the right of the pact." Efreet addressed Sheena. "I am one who is bound to Mithos."

"Mithos…" Lloyd said thoughtfully.

"I am Sheena Fujibayashi!" She began. "I seek a pact with Efreet. I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact with me."

"I shall test whether you are worthy of forming a pact." Efreet replied. "My fire will burn everything to ashes!"

"You can say that ONLY if you can block this." Dad said as he held up the Time Blade. "Hydro Cannon!" Despite the unfavorable conditions, Efreet was hit with a Maelstrom of moving water. The look he received from the Summon Spirit of Fire was one of surprise.

"Explode!" Efreet roared before dropping a huge fireball on top of him. The force of the blast sent Dad flying into a column, smashing it to pieces.

"Dad, are you ok?" Fin asked as he and Mark Anthony pulled him out of the rubble.

"Just a little ticked off!" He said as he unsheathed his other sword, the Aqua Blade.

"Uh, oh." I heard Terra say.

"Aurabolt!" Dad said before blasting Efreet with a massive amount of energy. The blast was so powerful it blew a hole in the wall behind the Summon Spirit.

"Your power is very admirable." Efreet said, conceding defeat. "Speak your vow."

"Right now, at this very moment, there are people who are suffering." Said Sheena. "I vow to save those people. I ask thee to grant me thy power!"

"I bestow upon you my raging inferno!" Efreet replied before turning into the Garnet Pact Ring, which Sheena accepted.

"That was so cool, Sheena!" Lloyd exclaimed, "Man, I wish I could conjure up Summon Spirits, too and say cool things like, 'Burn to oblivion!'"

"Knowing Lloyd, he's more likely to end up setting one of us on fire." Genis replied flatly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lloyd asked him with a look of annoyance.

"Let's not forget Ted was the one who took on Efreet single-handedly." Hannah noted with a laugh.

"Just don't ask me to fight the Summon Spirit of Lightning by myself…" Dad trailed. "Anyways, let's make a stop over at the Seal of Wind before we return to Hima."

---

Upon arriving, everyone was fired up and ready to go for a change. "Sheena, we're counting on you with Sylph!" Lloyd coached.

"All right, let's go!" Ann cheered. As Sheena approached the seal Sephie, Yutis and Fairess, a.k.a. The Sylph made their appearance.

"You are a summoner…are you not?" Sephie asked Sheena. "We the Sylph already share a pact with Mithos."

"I am Sheena Fujibayashi!" Sheena started. "I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me!"

"Ah, so the next pact-maker's finally here." Yutis said with a look of relief.

"Okay then, we'll test out your power!" Fairness added before all of them flew up high and encircled us.

"Hey Angel, what happens when things with wings get hit by lightning?" asked Terra.

"The same thing that happens to everything else!" She replied with a grin as she and Terra began a Unison Attack of their own.

"Judgement Bolt!" They both said before Terra shot an arrow at all tree members of The Sylph, which Angel then hit with Indignation. The dual attack clipped their wings simultaneously before they could even launch an attack.

"Wow…" Hannah trailed.

"We were working on that for awhile." Terra said with a grin.

"Wow, you're strong!" Fairness exclaimed after their crushing defeat.

"I'm impressed, too." said Yutis. "That was some attack you have there!"

"Yes, you shall have what you seek." Said Fairess. "Now, make your vow."

"Right now, at this very moment, there are people who are suffering." Said Sheena. "I vow to save those people."

"Understood, but please…keep to your vow." Sephie replied. "We do not wish to be betrayed again." The three then turned into the Pact Ring Opal, which Sheena accepted gratefully.

"Alright, we've got three Summon Spirits!" Genis cheered. "Too bad we can't get Luna for four…"

"There's a time and place for everything." I said with a wink.

---

"We're finally down to the last seal." Lloyd said once we were back in Hima.

"I let the Dragon Tour Guy know we'll be ready for the morning." Mark Anthony piped up.

"Let's split up for tonight." Raine suggested. "But don't go outside the village. Understood?"

"Yup." was Genis' reply.

"Got it." Sheena answered.

"We'll be leaving in the morning." Kratos added. "Make sure you get some rest."

"Goodnight, everyone." Said Katrin. "Sleep well." Everyone then split up and went their separate ways to be alone.

I was surprised when Mark Anthony came to me with a question. "Hey, do you think we can talk for a little bit?" he asked.

"Sure, I guess." I replied. "What's up?"

"Not here." He said quietly. "I don't want Dad, Kratos or Hannah to hear us." We then walked up to the top of the mountain and found a spot out of earshot of Lloyd and Colette, who were talking up there already.

"What is it?" I pressed.

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to talk to you about what might happen next." He said. "The way things are going, I don't think we can trust Dad or Hannah when we get to the Tower."

"What makes you say that?" I asked him. "I mean, I know Kratos is supposed to go Darth Vader on us but Dad and Hannah…not so much. Abyssion maybe, but not them."

"That's what I thought too until we were in the Sylverant Base and again when we were attacked in Luin." He replied. "When we were in the Sylverant Base I found it funny how Yuan knew about us. Not only that, Hannah went off on her own for two days while you and the others were in Hima. Less than an hour after she returned, monsters showed up looking for a fight."

"Are you saying Hannah or Dad might be leaking information to Cruxis or The Renegades?" I asked. "First off, if they did we would not have gone this far together by now. Second, Abyssion's in no mood to work with either Dad or Hannah. Third, you and I both know Yuan wouldn't ride on two swordsmen from another world, no matter how powerful they were if he didn't trust them. If he did, he wouldn't have left the way he did before Dad, Hannah and Kratos showed up."

"True, but let's not forget that our being here is changing the way the story is unfolding." Mark Anthony replied. "For all we know, there could be others of our family and friends in Tethe'alla. In fact, I'm expecting it. Your mom told me Alex, Marina, Leon, Kyle, Jenna and Marie are definitely here. Since we haven't run into them yet it's a safe bet they're in Tethe'alla."

"When we find them our group will be even more powerful." I noted. "When you put it that way, a few things seem to make sense. I think I also know why I my Cruxis Crystal has been glowing as of late."

"Why?" He asked. When I whispered it into he ear, he had a look of surprise. "Does Dad or Ann know?"

"Katrin's the only one." I replied. "Like the first time, she said I must be the one to break the news…"

---

The next morning, Lloyd and I woke up in time to see Dad, Hannah and Kratos leave the room.

"That was Kratos, wasn't it?" I asked him. "Where are they going?"

"I don't know, but I think we should follow them." He replied. We went outside and turned the corner in time to see Dad, Hannah and Kratos talking with someone but the fourth person's view was being blocked by Noishe.

"What's going on?" I said quietly.

"Let's listen from here." Lloyd suggested as we ducked behind some rocks.

---

"Let me make sure I've heard you right." Yuan said as we spoke down the road from the Inn where the others slept. "You, Hannah, Abyssion and about two dozen people are here from another world?"

"That's right." Hannah replied. "From a planet called earth. We're not sure how we came to be here but we know that so far things are going as they should."

"I see…" Yuan said thoughtfully. Then he turned to Kratos. "I understand the boy with the two swords…Lloyd right? He's your son…isn't he?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Does he know who you really are?" Yuan asked him.

"Only that I am his father." The Seraph replied. "He doesn't know I work for Mithos—yet."

"I see." Yuan said thoughtfully. "Nor does he know you and I know each other. Ted, I understand you and four other members of your group claim to know what is going to happen well ahead of time. Care to give any insight in that?"

"Depends on what you want to know." I replied with a grin. "Before I start, I'd like to make it clear that under no circumstances can Abyssion be allowed to wield all three of our swords. If he does, not even the Eternal Sword can stop him."

"A weapon more powerful than the sword forged by Origin…?" asked Kratos.

"That's only when the three are combined." Hannah replied.

"To start off, we already know Kratos is going to change sides once we get inside the tower." I began. "Second, Mithos is going to join our group at some point in Tethe'alla. Third, we also know that in order to germinate the great seed Sheena needs to make a pact with the remaining five summon spirits."

"What about the Eternal Sword?" Yuan asked. "Humans can't use it, after all."

"Kratos is going to gather the ingredients needed to make the Eternal Ring for Lloyd to wield it." I replied. "Oh, and Mithos is going to use you for soccer practice when he eventually finds you out, Yuan."

"It's hard to argue all that." said Kratos. "It seems we'll have to change a few things as well--"

"More so because someone's listening," Hannah cut in. She motioned to some rocks directly behind us. I glanced over and could make out what looked like Lloyd's shirt tails.

"Looks like we should wrap this up, then." Yuan suggested with a smile. "Kratos, you should do everything you have planned. I'll send Botta and some of my men to the tower to bail them out."

"And I will infiltrate Cruxis." said Hannah. "After I find some Aionis I'll grab a Mana Fragments and link up with the group in Tethe'alla after I get some Zircon and Mana Leaf Herbs."

"Mind if I ask why?" Kratos asked.

"To make Rune Crests for Colette and Celes." I explained. "But Hannah, just get enough for Celes. The Chosen's fate is still undecided, after all…"

---

"Who were you talking to earlier?" I asked Dad as everyone prepared to go to the Tower of Salvation.

"Yuan." He replied. "Lloyd was with you, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but he fell asleep." I replied with a laugh. "He didn't hear anything."

"That's a relief." Dad said with a look of concern. "I know this goes without saying but…"

"I know, I know." I finished. "I'll keep it to myself."

"It's finally time to release the final seal…" Lloyd said once everyone was together in front of the Inn.

"We should hurry." Kratos suggested. Lloyd and Celes shot him a look. Regardless, we went to the top of the mountain where the Dragon Tour Guy was waiting.

"I've been waiting for you." He greeted. "Please board the dragons in pairs."

"Wait—there aren't enough Dragons…" Sheena noted.

"Oh, that's ok." Dad replied as he made his wings appear. "Some of us can fly already."

"I will ride on the same dragon as the Chosen of Regeneration." Said Kratos. "Protecting her…is my job." I noticed everyone but Dad and Hannah look at him warily.

"Lloyd, who are you going to ride with?" asked Genis.

"Is alright if I ride with you Katrin?" Lloyd asked her.

"Sure, I guess." She replied hesitantly. After all the Dragons were boarded they took off, followed by those who used their wings. I ended up getting paired with Fin.

"This looks to be an interesting event." He remarked as we neared the Tower.

"You're telling me!" I exclaimed. "It's why I consider it the greatest plot twist EVER in this story, ah—game!"

---

"Where are Colette, Celes and the others?" Lloyd asked when he noticed a few people missing.

"Looks like they've gone inside already." Raine replied. "Let's hurry up!" When we entered the tower we came into a huge room with coffins floating around.

"Why are all these dead bodies here?!" Lloyd exclaimed in fright.

"They may be…all the Chosen that failed the world regeneration up until now." Raine replied with a concerned look on her face.

"And Martel Yggdrassil's failed vessels…" I commented very quietly.

"So if Colette fails, she'll wind up here with them—damn!" Lloyd refuted.

"I'm worried about Celes." Said Ann. "Let's hurry!" We ran onto the transporter, which took us deeper into the Tower. We were shocked to Colette kneeling before Remiel up ahead. Celes was kneeling in front of the Eternal Sword.

"What's going on?" asked Sheena.

"I think…I'm having a baby…" Celes managed to say. This earned a look of shock from all of us.

"WHAT?!" Ann exclaimed. "How can this be possible?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine!" Celes exclaimed. "As you can tell, I didn't plan this!"

"Now, my daughter!" We heard Remiel say. "Release the final seal! In doing so, you will complete the final sacrifice of your human existence—your heart and your memory. By doing so of your own free will, you will become a true angel!"

"Sacrifice her heart and memory?!" Lloyd exclaimed in horror.

"Colette's going to forget about us?!" Genis said in similar fashion.

"Colette's human life will now end, and she will be reborn as an angel." said Raine.

"Professor Sage, what is he talking about?!" Lloyd asked her.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry." Raine said as she turned to him. "I promised Colette I wouldn't say anything. Colette will give up her life in order to regenerate the world. Becoming an angel means dying."

"That's not quite correct." Remiel said suddenly. Everyone turned to him. "The Chosen's heart will die and her body will be offered to the Goddess Martel. By removing her body Colette will revive the Goddess. This is the true nature of the world regeneration! The revival of the Goddess Martel…is the revival of the world itself!"

"That…that's…" Lloyd stammered in shock.

"Lord Remiel, we have heard that a world known as Tethe'alla lies parallel to Sylverant." said Raine.

"That is not for you to know." Remiel replied.

"You kept it a secret because it is true, yes?" Katrin probed.

"From whom did you learn of it?" He asked as he looked us all down.

"Can't Cruxis make both worlds peaceful?" Sheena asked.

"If that is what the Chosen desires, she can lend her power to Cruxis by becoming an angel." He replied. "Once the Goddess Martel is revived by the Chosen, the two worlds will surely achieve peace, just as the Chosen wishes." The look on Colette's face was one of surprise. "Is that true, you ask? You know why you have come here."

"You can't…are you really planning to die?!" Sheena pleaded.

"Colette, stop!" Lloyd exclaimed. "If you sacrifice yourself, your friends who love you and your family…and me…we'll all be sad. It will be the same as sacrificing all of us!" In that moment we could see the look of hesitation in her eyes. Of course, she didn't have the use of her voice.

When Lloyd made a break for it Genis grabbed him. "Let me go!" He screamed.

"I don't want anything to happen to her either!" Genis replied. "But what else are we

supposed to do?! The people of Sylverant are suffering, too!"

"But…" Lloyd started before getting cut off by Remiel.

"The sacrifice of one single person, the Chosen, will save the world." He stated. "Are you saying that you would choose the Chosen's soul over the entire world? Now, Colette! Come join your father!" When Colette stopped before him a magic circle appeared under him.

"Whoa!" Fin exclaimed when Celes floated over as well.

"Celes!" Ann exclaimed at almost the same time.

"Wait, Remiel!" Lloyd exclaimed as he and Ann jumped onto the pedestal. "Is there really no other way? Colette's your daughter. Surely you don't really want her to die, either!"

"My daughter?" He replied with a grin. "Don't make me laugh. When I came down to play the role of guardian angel, you 'inferior beings' just started calling me her father on your own."

What?" Lloyd replied with a look of surprise.

"I merely placed the Cruxis Crystal upon this sacrifice, who was selected to become Martel's vessel." He added. When Lloyd and Colette held hands on the platform something weird happened. Apparently, the two could talk telepathically. When Celes and Colette floated up high we realized Colette had made her choice…and Celes' as well.

----

As the two floated into the air, there was a flash of light. When it faded, Colette had red pupils and learned both of them Judgement. We looked and saw that a baby lay crying in front of Lloyd and Mom.

"I've done it!" Remiel exclaimed with glee. "It's finally complete! Martel's vessel is finally complete! Not only that, the other girl has given birth to a suitable backup as well as planned! With this, I shall become one of the Four Seraphim!"

"Wait just a minute!" Sheena exclaimed with concern. "What are you gonna do with Colette?!"

"I can't believe Celes was used this way!" Fin exclaimed with rage.

"He's going to take Colette to heaven." Raine said

"You bastard!" Lloyd fumed as he unsheathed his swords. "You'll pay for this! Cruxis, the angels, the Goddess Martel…it's all a big lie, isn't it?! Let them go, now!"

"That, I cannot do, for Colette is Martel's vessel." He replied coldly before releasing Celes. "You can have _her_ back, however. These are Martel's new bodies which took years to complete. I have no use for any of you! Be gone!" And that's when he decided to attack.

"You bastard!" Celes exclaimed as she unsheathed her sword. "Nobody uses me and gets away with it!" That's when she began to glow brightly. "Holy Light, cast your power on this corrupt soul with the Light of Judgement!" The blast of energy downed Remiel in one go, much to everyone's surprise.

"Let's make a note not to piss her off." Mark Anthony said dryly.

"Impossible…how can an angel, the ultimate being, lose to a group of humans?" Remiel gasped.

"Colette, come back to us!" Lloyd pleaded. "I'm going to restore you back to your normal self! I promise!" She simply floated there as if she was the only one in the room, much to Lloyd's disappointment. "Colette…have you really forgotten me?"

"You're wasting your time." Kratos said as he appeared out of nowhere. "Not only did she lose her memory, but she has lost the soul to listen to your words. Now Colette is merely a puppet standing before death's door."

"Kratos!" Genis exclaimed.

"Dad, where have you been?!" Lloyd asked him. "What are you saying?!"

---

"The Chosen desired the regeneration of the world and chose this path herself." Said Hannah as she appeared to the right of Kratos.

"By the summoning of the Chosen to Derris-Kharlan, the seal will be broken and the regeneration will be complete." I said as I appeared to the left of him.

"Kratos…Ted…Hannah…what are you all talking about?" he asked.

"It is what you wanted as well." Kratos stated. "We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel."

"What are you talking about?!" Lloyd pressed. "Dad, no—Kratos, answer me!"

"Lord Kratos, have pity on me." Remiel said where he lay dying. "Please…lend me your aid." This earned a look of shock from the Sylverant Team and Sheena.

"Have you forgotten, Remiel?" Kratos replied with disgust. "I was once of the inferior race…a human. Does the ultimate being seek help from that which he despises the most?" Remiel died on the spot before giving an answer. That's when Mark Anthony, Lloyd and Fin moved toward us.

"Move out of the way." Hannah instructed them.

"What?" Fin replied as Katrin and I unsheathed our swords.

"Kratos…who are you?" Lloyd asked. That's when he made his wings appear.

"I am of Cruxis, the organization that guides this world." He replied. "Before I became your father I was one of the Four Seraphim, sent forth to keep close watch over the Chosen."

"Kratos is an angel, too?!" Genis exclaimed in surprise.

"You all deceived us!" Sheena exclaimed.

"Deceived?" I replied. "I think not. If the Chosen merges with Martel, she will awaken and the world will be saved. Is that not what you wanted?"

"Once her body is taken by the Goddess of Martel, Colette will truly die." Raine noted.

"No, She will be reborn as Martel." Kratos replied.

"Damn you all!" Lloyd spat. "You think I'm going to let you do that?! Colette is our friend!"

"You earnestly believe you can defeat us?" Kratos asked as Hannah and I joined him on the platform.

---

"I never thought we'd be on opposite sides like this…" I trailed.

"Why?" asked Genis.

"Because we've never defeated our father in combat before." Fin replied as he dodged sword strokes from Hannah.

"Don't think I'll hold back because I'm your father either." Dad said as he thrust the Sword of Time into the ground and took out his Aqua Blade.

"Uh, oh…" Terra trailed, knowing fully well what dad was about to do. "Ann, do you think you can—"

"Already on it!" She said as she took out her book of summons. "I call upon the master of the white tundra! Come and freeze the flesh and bone of my enemies. I summon thee! Come, Julie Frost!" With that, the Ice Queen herself appeared before us. When she saw Ted opposite us she hesitated.

"Arise, Master of the Deep!" We heard Dad say. "The Sea, Oceans and all contained within. I summon thee! Come, Leviathan!" That's when Dad's Sea Dragon arose with a huge tidal wave that threatened to kill us all.

"Julie, do something!" Mom exclaimed. "Ted's trying to kill us!" Julie then froze the water—and Leviathan—solid, much to the surprise of all.

"Just in time…" Angel sighed. Then she got serious. "Now it's MY turn—Indignation Judgement!" The powerful combo spell shattered the ice and took out Leviathan. Even was impressed.

"That's the first time Leviathan's ever been defeated since I made a pact with him." He remarked. "Still, it is not nearly enough!"

"Frenzy Plant!" Hannah said before hundreds of vines appeared out of nowhere.

"Ah!" Several people said as they were hit.

"I call upon the power of the sun." I said I as focused energy into my Solar Blade. "Solar Beam!" The blast of energy incinerated the branches and sent Dad, Hannah and Kratos flying.

"You guys made a big mistake changing sides!" Mom said as she aimed an arrow up high. "Judgement Bolt!" She fired an arrow which hit all three of them with electric energy. When they fell it seemed like the battle would be ours…

---

"…Ugh!" Kratos groaned as he, Dad and Hannah took a knee.

"Time to finish this!" Lloyd said as he prepared to charge forward. That's when Mithos Yggdrassil decided to make his appearance—with Abyssion!

"I guess not even you could bring yourself to fight against such opponents…" Yggdrassil said to Kratos, Dad and Hannah.

"Lord Yggdrassil." Kratos answered.

"That was quite a performance back there, Ted." Abyssion commented as he clapped sarcastically. "And to think I came here prepared to fight _you_!"

"Who's that?" asked Genis, in referral to the Cruxis Leader.

"Another angel?!" Sheena breathed in horror.

"Are you Kratos' son Lloyd?" Yggdrassil asked him. This earned a surprised look from Dad and Hannah.

"Give me your name, and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd rebutted.

"Haha…people need not introduce themselves to a dog." Yggdrassil sneered.

"What did you say?!" Lloyd shot back.

"Fine, I shall tell you my name…**_wretched human_**." He said as his eyes narrowed. "I am Yggdrassil, leader of Cruxis…and the Desians! Inferior Beings deserve to perish!" That's when he and Abyssion attacked. Having exhausted ourselves against our last four opponents we were quickly overcome with brute force.

"Looks like you were right about one thing, Ted." Abyssion said with a laugh. "Without you, they're nothing!"

"…" Was Dad's reply. Abyssion laughed even more as Yggdrassil pulled the Eternal Sword from its pedestal and blasted us all with energy. The force sent Mark Anthony and Lloyd flying into tow pillars, breaking them.

"Kratos, do you have any objections?" Yggdrassil asked the Seraph. "I understand you and Lloyd took care of Kvar. For that, I might just spare his life."

"…" was his reply.

"And what about you, Ted?" asked Abyssion. "Or do you truly plan to just sit there and watch him kill your entire family? I don't know about you but if someone was going to kill Damien and Aurina I'd have done something by now." Still no reply.

"It looks like they've both decided." Yggdrassil said to Abyssion. "And what a shame to kill a boy with such potential."

"Either way, you'll be getting his exsphere." Abyssion noted.

"I don't think so!" Terra said suddenly.

---

Before anyone could react, she fired an arrow at Abyssion, which he ate since he made the mistake of putting his Gravity Blade down. "You stupid…!" He spat as he pulled it out of his chest. At that moment, Botta and the others came to the rescue.

"Damn, the Chosen has already become an angel!" Botta exclaimed in horror. "We have no choice--we're taking her back with us alive!"

"Not so fast!" Abyssion said. I grabbed him before he could move.

"Hannah, now!" I exclaimed.

"I knew it was too good to be true!" Abyssion said as Hannah wrestled him to the ground. In the next moment they both vanished.

"What are you doing?!" Yggdrassil exclaimed as I walked over to all three pieces of the Trinity Blade.

"This." I said as I began chanting a new spell. "Energy Force Barrier!" A sphere of Blue Energy then surrounded all three of the swords. In doing this, no one would be able to use them.

"He sealed the swords…!" I heard Mark Anthony say.

"Come on, Mark!" Terra said as she pulled him to safety. In the next moment they were gone, leaving me, Kratos and Yggdrassil alone.

"Unless all three of us die, no one can use the Trinity Blade." He said with a grin. "Sorry Mithos but as I said before, Abyssion can't be trusted."

"Renegades…as irritating as ever." He said, his mind clearly somewhere else. "Still, it is of little consequence. Come, let us leave."

"As you wish…" Kratos replied with a nod. Mithos then returned to Welgaia.

"Think they'll be alright?" I asked Kratos.

"They have an amazing father." He replied as he picked up the child Celes gave birth to. "Hmm…saved by the Renegades. Don't die, Lloyd…" Kratos then took his leave as well, leaving me alone in the Seal Room.

"Heh, of course there was one thing that wasn't true back there." I said with a laugh. "I can take down that shield at any time I want. Then again, to do that could truly mean the end of Celes…"

-----

End Chapter Ten! Whew! I updated TRICE in a week! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter, as there won't be any new updates to this until January. The reason: I want to update my OTHER Tales of Symphonia Fanfic! That, and I could use a break for a time…


	11. Chapter 11: The Aftermath

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Chapter 11: The Aftermath

---

A/N: The aftermath of what happened last chapter is here for all to see. All I'm saying is what happened last chapter really happened. Immediate reactions are here...

---

"Lloyd, you're finally awake!" Celes exclaimed as the young swordsman rose.

"Ugh…where are we?" He said as he climbed out of bed. "Where's Colette?!" He said before rushing to her side.

…She doesn't respond to anything we say." Sheena warned him. "Not even Ann can help her…"

"Damn it!" He spat as he threw his hands up in defeat.

"Lloyd, do you remember this place?" Raine asked him. "We're in Triet Desert. This is the base where you were captured before."

"The Desian base?!" He asked in surprise.

"These guys aren't Desians." Terra corrected.

"What do you mean?" asked Lloyd, his face still full of shock.

"So many things happened at once…I'm confused, too." Genis piped up.

"Then why don't we go over everything we know about the situation as it stands now? Katrin suggested. "First, our current situation. When we were about to be killed in the Tower of Salvation, we were rescued by the organization on this base that resembles the Desians. They call themselves the Renegades."

"Uh, so what you're saying is that the people here are called Renegades and not Desians?" Lloyd asked in disbelief. "I really don't get it but go on."

"It seems that the Renegades oppose the Desians." Raine noted. "They probably have a reason for intentionally trying to look like Desians."

"All right, I think I get it now." Lloyd said after hearing both explanations. "We were saved by an organization called the Renegades that looks a lot like the Desians. So then who was that angel guy…Yggdrassil, or whatever? And what about Ted, Hannah and Kratos…?"

"Do you remember Yggdrassil's words?" Katrin asked him. "This is just pure conjecture, but Cruxis, holy beings worshipped by the Church of Martel, and the Desians may in fact be the same organization."

"That's because they are." Celes blurted out. Everyone looked at her. "The angel you saw in the tower said it himself that he is the leader of Cruxis and the Desians, after all."

"Whoa, wait…what?! How could that be possible?!" asked Lloyd in what seemed to be one of his more trying moments.

"Lloyd, hear me out." Raine said with a hint of annoyance. "If we think of the Desians as a part of Cruxis, or perhaps their pawns, everything makes sense."

"I remember one of the Desian Five Grand Cardinals said that their boss was Yggdrassil. Genis added.

"And like I said, Yggdrassil said that he was the leader of Cruxis and the Desians when he appeared before us." Celes added. "Or do you want us to explain everything again from the beginning again?"

"If the Desians and Cruxis are the same, well then what about Kratos?" asked Lloyd. "He obeyed Yggdrassil's orders. That means…"

"That's right, he's our enemy!" Sheena spat disdainfully. "He deceived us! He admitted it himself. He's one of Cruxis' Four Seraphim!"

"Kratos is likely a subordinate of Yggdrassil." Raine noted. "He probably joined us to make sure Colette didn't stray from the journey to regenerate the world."

"So we were deceived from the very beginning." Lloyd said with a hint of disgust. "By Remiel, the Cruxis, Kratos--even Ted and Hannah!"

---

"One would think it a good idea to MAKE SURE someone isn't here before talking about them." Hannah said as she walked into the room. "More so because where I'm from, talking like that could get you killed if you don't have the proof to back it up." We all just stood there with our mouths open. "The reaction is right on!" She said with a laugh as two Renegades walked in behind her.

"Ah, you're awake." One of them said. "Then please come with us to the next room. Our leader awaits you." Hannah and the underlings led the way to Yuan's Office a few doors down. Also present was Botta, the man we'd run into a few times on our travels.

"You're all finally awake." Yuan said as we walked in.

"Are you…the Renegades?" asked Lloyd.

"That's right." He replied. "We're an underground resistance dedicated to fighting the Desians…or rather, the Cruxis."

"So Cruxis and the Desians really are the same organization!" Genis exclaimed.

"Cruxis controls the Church of Martel in the open, and operates the Desians from behind the scenes." Botta explained. "The Desians are a subordinate organization within Cruxis."

"The Church of Martel is nothing more than an instrument created by Cruxis to rule the world." Yuan said rather bluntly. "Those who call themselves angels are half-elves who've evolved by using a special type of Exsphere called Cruxis Crystals. They aren't gods or anything of the sort. Of course, the Church of Martel and the Chosen know nothing about that."

"They're half-elves, too?!" Sheena asked in shock.

"Yes, some of the Desians, as well as Cruxis and us are half-elves." Botta replied.

"What is Cruxis trying to do?" Lloyd asked Yuan. "Are they doing all of this just to rule the world?"

"Do you intend to have us explain everything?" Yuan said rather impatiently. "How about using your own head a little?"

"Yes, Lloyd I've been wondering that myself." Mark Anthony added with a smirk. "At the very least you should try to be a bit more like Kr—"

"Don't." Terra cut in.

"But he knows already." Hannah noted. "Kratos himself told him." This earned a look of amusement from the Renegades.

"Do they wish to revive the Goddess Martel?" Raine asked in an attempt to change the subject. "They send oracles to those of the mana lineage and control their marriages to create a Chosen who is to become the vessel. It seems meaninglessly drawn out and complicated."

"Well, well, I am impressed." Botta said with a low whistle.

"There is another world beyond Sylverant that competes for mana." Yuan started.

"Tethe'alla." Lloyd finished.

"Yes, and the one who created this twisted world was Cruxis' leader, Yggdrassil." Yuan continued. Cue look of shock from Sheena and the Sylverant Team except Colette.

"Create a world?" Genis asked. "That's ridiculous! No one can do that!"

"If that's what you believe, then our conversation ends here." Yuan replied dismissively as he turned to leave the room.

"Wait--if Yggdrassil was the one that created the two worlds himself, what can you possibly hope to do against someone like that?" asked Lloyd. "And that's not all. You tried to kill Colette and me. You're certainly not on our side. Yet for some reason, you saved us. Why?"

"…You're not as stupid as you seem." Yuan said as he faced us again.

"You could be mistaken on that." Katrin said absently.

"Excuse me?! Lloyd exclaimed in annoyance.

"…Our goal is to stop Martel's revival." Botta explained. "Therefore, the Chosen, who would become her vessel, was an obstacle."

"Unfortunately, the Chosen completed the angel transformation." Yuan said disappointedly. "The Chosen is now a lethal weapon whose only goal is self-preservation. We wouldn't dare lay a hand on her. But now we have the key to stop Martel's resurrection. We no longer need the Chosen!"

"You mean Lloyd's exsphere?" asked Genis.

"No, us." Mark Anthony replied. "I heard you guys talking in Hima. Unless I'm mistaken, Hannah isn't supposed to be here right now."

"That's right." Ann replied. "But things didn't go as planned and Ted had to switch roles with her."

"What?!" We all said at once.

"Plot holes prevent from going into details but basically Ted should be here instead of Hannah." Terra added. "What changed things was Abyssion being at the Tower of Salvation when he was. It was completely unexpected but Ted is not one to throw away an opportunity."

"He sealed all the pieces of the Trinity Blade in the Seal Room." Said Mark Anthony in amazement. "So that was your plan."

"Only part of it." Said Hannah. "I'd say luck played a role in us doing it sooner than expected. It doesn't mean we're all without a weapon, however. I still have Excalibur, Ted Nautilus and Abyssion Cerberus. Trust me when I say Ted's more than a match for all who cross him even without the Time Blade."

"So…where do we go from here?" asked Angel. "I mean…Colette lost her soul now Cruxis is after us."

"You might want to head over to Tethe'alla in regards to Colette." Hannah replied. "You'll not be able to travel freely in Sylverant now that the Desians are aware of us. That…and there's some friendly faces over there."

"You mean the others?!" Asked Terra.

"That's right." Yuan replied. "A young woman was recently seen in the company of Tethe'alla's chosen. From what I understand she appeared around the same time you all appeared in Sylverant."

"Sounds like the lot of us are in this world…" Mark Anthony said with a sigh. "Still, we don't know where to begin…"

"Sheena, where did you get your Exsphere?" Raine asked suddenly.

"Well that came out of nowhere." She said in surprise. "I got this before I came here. They attached it to me at the Imperial Research Academy."

"Is it normal for people to equip Exspheres in Tethe'alla?" Raine asked her.

"No, not at all." The female ninja replied. "The technology was originally brought over by the Renegades. Nowadays Exspheres are mainly attached to machines."

"Wait a second--so Tethe'alla and the Renegades are on the same side?" asked Lloyd.

"I wouldn't say that much." Botta said with a scoff.

"Though I did talk the King and Pope into the idea of assassinating the chosen of Sylverant." Yuan added. "That, along with the nature of the two worlds."

"That's horrible!" Genis exclaimed.

"Then Everyone, I suggest we go to Tethe'alla." Raine concluded. "As Yuan said, Angels are half-elves that evolved using special Exspheres called Cruxis Crystals."

"Oh, I get it!" Lloyd exclaimed with a grin. "Colette's current condition is caused by the Cruxis Crystal!"

"Since Tethe'alla is studying the Exspheres, they may know something about Cruxis Crystals as well." Raine summarized.

"That's a good idea." Sheena piped up. "I'm pretty sure that they're studying the Cruxis Crystal that belongs to Tethe'alla's Chosen at the Imperial Research Academy."

"There's a Chosen in Tethe'alla, too?" asked Genis in amazement.

"Of course." She replied. "The world regeneration ritual is carried out in Tethe'alla as well. The Church of Martel exists, too."

"But if they've been carrying out the regeneration that many times, why hasn't Martel's vessel been completed already?" asked Lloyd. All eyes fell on us and the Renegades but no one dared speak.

"This is one time I think we have a right to know." said Genis.

"And that right will be given to you once the time is right." Hannah and Yuan said at the same time.

"It is much too soon for us to tell you too much." Said Yuan.

"I can only wonder." Raine said in defeat. "Perhaps those corpses lined up in the Tower of Salvation were… No, never mind."

"No, go ahead." Said Hannah.

"What?" she asked.

"Even if it sounds insane, go ahead and say it." Hannah replied.

"Well, I was going to say the caskets we saw belong to Martel's failed vessels." Raine explained. "But there were so many. It's hard to believe the Regeneration Ritual has been carried out so many times and there are so many dead. That and there are other things that don't seem to add up."

"If you weren't from Sylverant I'd ask you to join us, Professor Sage." Botta remarked.

"You mean I'm right?!" She exclaimed.

"And then some." Yuan added with a look of interest. "Still, time demands you leave for Tethe'alla as soon as possible. My men will take you to the Hangar and get you set up with some Reihards."

---

"So does this mean you're helping us?" asked Lloyd in surprise.

"For the time being, Son of Kratos." Yuan replied.

"How long have you know him?" Lloyd asked him.

"One could say many years." Yuan replied. "Now if you have any more questions, you'll need to save them for another day." With that we were ushered out of Yuan's Office and escorted to the Hangar. When we arrived, Botta fired up the console as we boarded Reihards.

"So these are the Reihards!" Lloyd said in amazement. "I can't wait to fly between the worlds!"

"…" Was everyone else's reaction.

"Are they sure that's Kratos' son?" I heard a Renegade muttering.

"Afraid so." Hannah said as she came into the room. "For the time being I will be staying behind. I have some…unfinished business I need to take care of."

"Wait—what about Celes?" asked Ann. "Her Cruxis Crystal sealed her powers!"

"Take this." She said as she threw a package to me. "That should take care of it."

"Is this a…" I trailed.

"You better believe it." Hannah replied. "A present courtesy of one Ted Toss."

"Wait—I forgot my Bow!" Mom said before she jumped off her Reihard suddenly. This caused the remaining Reihards to power up and launch automatically.

"WHOA!" a few people said as they surged forward.

---

"Umm…oops?" Terra said as everyone departed.

"Really funny, 'mom'." I replied with a laugh. "Still, you're playing your part quite nicely."

"They have no idea I'm a member of the Renegades like you are." She said. "How else would I have saved their asses in the Asgard Ranch?"

"True." I replied. "Now I have a little matter to settle in Welgaia. In the meantime, I want you to collect the Devil's Arms."

"The Devil's Arms?" She repeated.

"Yes." I replied. "In the original story there are eight but with our being here there are now 13. You're not superstitious, are you?"

"Hell no!" I she spat. "I have seen a few curses reversed in my lifetime."

"Good to hear!" I exclaimed. "Once you've found them all bring them to the Tethe'alla Base. By the time you get there, they should be heading in that direction…"

"Lord Hannah, we have a problem!" A Renegade said as he burst in. "Since the Summon Spirits in Sylverant are awake, the ones in Tethe'alla have gone to sleep. That means…"

"For your own sake, those Reihards had better stay in the air long enough for them to reach land." I said. "If not, I will be VERY pissed off."

---

"Whoa--Wh…what's happening?!" Lloyd asked as the Reihards began to sputter.

"I don't know, it just suddenly…" Genis trailed.

"Look! The fuel gauge is empty!" Raine exclaimed.

"So that's it!" Sheena yelped in horror. "Since you've the seals in Sylverant, there's not enough mana in this world!"

"And that means?!" Genis and Angel asked.

"We're gonna fall!!" Anna and Sheena replied in Unison. We went down and crashed into the Fooji Mountains. Luckily, we all walked away without a scratch.

"I think we managed to avoid destroying them completely…" Lloyd noted as we stared at the smoldering mess before us.

"But they're useless unless we get some fuel." Genis noted.

"What's the fuel?" asked Lloyd.

"Magic, I assume." Raine replied. "Perhaps the lightning that Volt produces?"

"Then all we have to do is have Sheena summon Volt, right?" asked Fin.

"I…haven't made a pact with Volt." She replied sadly.

"Stand aside!" Angel said suddenly. "I'll blast them with Indignation Judgment!"

"And destroy them in the process." Ann replied. "We'd be stuck if that happened."

"Fin, don't you know how to use Aurabolt?" I asked him.

"Yes, but Dad's would be a lot more potent for this." He replied grimly. "I only recently started using it."

"Oh, Then I guess we'll just have to leave these here." Lloyd replied sadly.

"And here I thought magitechnology was infallible." Genis noted before something else caught his eye in the distance. "That's…the Tower of Salvation! Why is that here? This is Tethe'alla, right?

"Of course." Sheena replied. "The Tower of Salvation appears in the flourishing world. The Tower also appeared on your side after Colette received the oracle, right?"

"Two worlds, Two towers…" Raine trailed. "What about the Holy Ground? The Church of Martel is also over here, correct? Is the Holy Ground called Kharlan?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "The place where the Tower of Salvation lies is the Holy Ground of Kharlan. The same as your world."

"The Holy Ground of Kharlan is where the peace treaty was signed to end the Ancient War!" Genis exclaimed in shock. "There can't be two of them!"

"Are you sure yours isn't a fake?" Sheena shot back. "We have records in our museums depict how the Hero Mithos called the two ancient kings to the Holy Ground of Kharlan in order to forge a peace treaty."

"And such records exist on our side as well." Raine replied. "Instruments used to sign the treaty can be found in the Palmacosta Academy."

"…So either one side is fake…or maybe they're actually both real." Lloyd concluded.

"Lloyd, that's not possible!" his friend exclaimed.

"Don't get mad." Lloyd replied. "I was just…kind of…saying stuff. Anyway, let's get going.

"It's true we aren't gonna get anywhere by pondering about it here." Katrin mused.

"Wow, it's our first adventure in Tethe'alla!" Genis cheered.

"…Genis, this isn't a field trip." Raine warned.

"I'll have to agree." Ann added with a laugh. We made our way down the side of the mountain. Partway down Mark Anthony pulled me away from the others.

"This is for you." He said as he opened the package Hannah gave him. "It's a Rune Crest. "With it, you should get your powers back."

"How do I use it?" I asked.

"Just put in on your Cruxis Crystal." He replied. "They were gonna get one for Colette, too but as usual Dad wanted to make sure you got one first."

"That's so like him." I replied tearfully. "If only he were here…"

---

And so ends chapter 11. Well, I killed off Julie in another story which is why she's a Summon Spirit here. I know I never explained that before so now you know. Next chapter, everyone's favorite Red-Headed Chosen Guy appears! It's basically all of Meltokio in Chapter 12!


	12. Chapter 12: The Great Zelos Wilder

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Chapter 12: The Great Zelos Wilder!

---

So sorry for making you wait--I just didn't want to stop writing Chapter 13! Expect that one later this week!

As you will see, I had fun with this one! It's pretty lengthy and some romance is thrown in. THAT and three more members of the Toss Family are introduced. There's one other surprise so get ready…

-----

"Sorry, but I'm going to part ways with you here." Sheena said when we arrived at the gates of Meltokio.

"What? Why?" asked Genis.

"Have you forgotten? I was trying to kill Colette." She replied. "I have to report my failure to the Chief."

"Is this Chief person in this city?" Genis asked her.

"I'm from Mizuho." She replied. "The people of Mizuho were chased from this land. We all live in hiding."

"If you go make that report, are you going to be all right?" Raine asked her.

"Don't worry about that." Sheena replied rather hastily as she handed Lloyd an envelope. "Anyway, I'd like you to deliver this letter for me. Please give it to the King in Castle Tethe'alla. Tell him it's from Sheena of Mizuho. He'll grant you an audience right away."

"The King wants to kill Colette, right?" asked Genis. "Are you sure this is going to be all right?"

"In order to stop that, I've written the details of everything that's happened and requested that they help heal Colette." Sheena replied.

"I see…Thank you!" Lloyd cheered.

"Ah, no, y…you don't have to thank me." Sheena replied. "It's nothing. Don't mention it. The Imperial Research Academy is under the control of the royal family. There isn't any other way is all!"

"We'll see you again, right?" Lloyd asked her.

"Hmmm…we might meet again, and we might not." The female ninja replied with an air of mystery.

"Then, let's not say good-byes just yet." Said Raine.

"Well, for the time being we will be leaving as well." Mom said suddenly. Everyone looked at her. "Fin, Angel and I are going to look for information about the others. If they're in Tethe'alla it shouldn't be too hard to find them."

"Aww…" A few people said sadly.

"It's not like it will cripple your fighting strength." Fin replied. "You'll still have Katrin, Celes and Mark Anthony. That and, like Sheena we may just meet again later on."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Raine trailed. "Good luck to all of you." With that, the four of them set off while the rest of us entered the city. As we looked around Genis and Lloyd noticed a dog walking up to Colette.

"Whoa, there are dogs on this side, too." Genis remarked. When the dog approached Colette she kicked it so hard it disappeared into the eastern sky.

"Colette?! And she used to love dogs…" Lloyd noted sadly. Suddenly, Rodyle appeared in front of us with his eye on Colette.

"Ah, ha, ha, ha! That's a violent young lady there! That's marvelous!" he said before taking his leave of us.

"Who in the world was that man?" Raine wondered aloud.

"Try Desian." I replied. "As for the why part, I really don't know." We climbed the stairs and reached what looked like the main square. As we continued onwards to the castle that's when a red-haired man and several women made their way into the square in our direction. While Katrin and I stopped to stare at him, Colette kept going and bumped into one of the groupies.

" H…hey, watch it!" the girl Colette bumped into exclaimed.

"Watch where you're going!" another spat.

"Now, now, settle down, my daring hunnies!" the man said to his groupies before turning to Colette. "Hi there, my little cool beauty! Are you hurt?" Colette simply stood there as if he wasn't even there.

"Well! Master Zelos himself has deigned to speak to this girl, and yet look how she acts!" The girl Colette bumped into said.

"Just look at her! It's not even festival time and yet she's dressed up in an angel costume." Another groupie noted "How stupid are you?"

"Can you believe the nerve of this hag?" a fourth spat.

"What did you say?!" Genis fumed.

"Genis, let it go." Lloyd replied dismissively. "She's obviously never looked in a mirror."

"When you put it that way…" Katrin said as we started laughing.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" the first groupie fumed.

"You're all behaving like children." Raine noted.

"Now, now, settle down." The man said to everyone before turning back to Colette. "Are you upset, my little angel? You know, I bet you're as cute as a button when you smile!" As he reached out to her, Colette grabbed him and throttled him into the air.

"AHHHHH! Master Zelos!!!" The groupies exclaimed in unison. Zelos somehow managed to evade the fall and landed on the floor with his feet in just a matter of seconds.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed in amazement. "That was surprise! You sure are strong, my little angel. You certainly startled me!"

"Wh…who are you?" Lloyd asked him. Zelos choose that moment to walk over to us. I felt my heart begin to race. "Even though I was married with children I found myself falling for him!

"No offense, but I'm not interested in talking to guys." He said to Lloyd and Genis.

"NO. WAY!" Katrin exclaimed. Looks like she fell for him, too.

"I hate this guy already." Genis spat as he walked over to Raine.

"What's your name, beautiful?" he asked her.

"Give me your name, and I'll give you mine." She replied.

"Hey, you copied Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed.

"Well, now that I've heard someone say it, it does sound kind of arrogant." He noted.

"Oh, my, you don't know me?" He asked disappointedly. "Well, well. I guess I still have a ways to go." Then he walked over to me next. "And what's your name, sunshine?"

"SUNSHINE!!!!" I exclaimed. "It's Celes. Celeste Ann Toss."

"Ooh, be still my heart!" he said. "You give off a radiance that outshines the sun! And you with the lance, would you do me the honor of giving me your name?"

"It's Karin." She replied. "Katrina Toss."

"On a scale of one to ten, I'd give you a hundred." Zelos replied. "And I would be honored if you would be the mother of my children!"

"No…freaking…way…" I trailed in amazement.

"Master Zelos! Let's go!" One of the groupies exclaimed.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course." He said as he returned to them. "Well then, I'll see you again, my lovely lady, my cute little angel, my only sunshine, next of kin and…uh…you other people." Even after he had gone, Katrin and I couldn't contain ourselves.

"What was that all about?" Lloyd asked.

"What an ass!" Genis spat. "He was grinning like an idiot the entire time. What's wrong with that guy?"

"He's such a philanderer." Mark Anthony remarked.

"He wanted to marry me!" Katrin exclaimed.

"He had an Exsphere on him." Raine noted.

"So that's how he reacted so fast…Just who is that guy?" Lloyd wondered as we continued up to Tethe'alla Castle.

---

"Who are you people?" one of the guards asked as we approached.

"We want to meet the King." I said.

"His Majesty is ill and is not granting audiences." The other guard replied. "Now that you know, please leave."

"No! We have to see him!" Lloyd pleaded.

"I'm sure you do, but until His Majesty is well, there is nothing that can be done." The first guard said. "The Church of Martel is preparing a prayer ritual to pray for His Majesty's recovery, so try asking the priests in the church to ensure that he gets well as soon as possible." At that moment, two more guards came to relieve the first two. We decided to just head over to the Church of Martel adjacent to the castle.

"Welcome to the Church of Martel!" one of the clergy greeted us. "Come and receive blessings from—"

"Alex?!" Celes suddenly exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Celes, is that you?" He mirrored. "I'd just about given up on finding you! Where have you been?"

"In Sylverant." She replied as the two shared an embrace. "We only recently came to Tethe'alla. All but a few were found but we split up for a time. Did you run into anyone else, by chance?"

"Kyle and Leon are here as well." He started. "They as well as myself and the Pope were just summoned to the King's Bed Chambers. I was just on my way over there, actually."

"Do you think you can get us in the castle?" Genis cut in.

"Yes, I suppose." Alex replied when he spotted someone else behind our group. "Oh, Presea! The prayers are to take place in the royal chambers. Please carry the sacred wood to the castle." We turned to see a small girl with pink hair tied into pigtails nod in response before turning to go.

"…She's cute." Genis noted.

"That girl he called Presea has an Exsphere, too." Lloyd remarked. "Is that a standard custom over here?"

"Yeah, She's really cute." Genis drooled.

"You're not listening at all, are you?" Lloyd asked him while I waved a hand in front of his face.

"You mentioned prayers." Raine said to Alex. "Are you praying for the recovery of the King?"

"Yes. The Chosen, myself and the Pope will pray before His Majesty and receive the assistance of Martel." Alex replied.

"You said the prayers will take place in the royal chambers, right?" Lloyd repeated.

Yes, that's correct, but…" Alex said cautiously. He saw where this was going. "It'll be hard for me to grant you all an audience at this time."

"Surely you can do SOMETHING." Celes said in a rather pleading tone. "The life of another depends upon us seeing him!"

"Well, why didn't you say so?" he replied mischievously. "Go and speak with Presea. I'll let the guards know to let you all in with her on my way over."

---

"…Hey! Hang on a sec! Um…Presea!" Genis fumbled as we came running to catch up to her.

"Could…we have a moment of your time?" Raine asked cautiously.

"I'm Lloyd. "Lloyd introduced. "This is Colette and Raine and…"

"I…I'm Genis!" The Mage managed to say.

"…Hey, Genis, why are you all flushed?" his friend asked.

"Would you let us help you carry the sacred wood?" Genis asked her. She looked at us vacantly before walking away with the wood.

"W…wait!" Genis exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. I know this is a bit strange, but please hear us out." Raine pleaded. "The truth is, we have a letter we wish to give to the King."

"Our friend's life depends on it." Lloyd continued. "But we have a problem because the King is sick, and refuses to see anyone. It would really help us out if we could carry it for you." Again, no response.

"A…are you listening?" Mark asked haphazardly.

"…Understood." The girl said before walking away from the wood.

"Um, Presea?" Genis asked curiously.

"Please carry that." She instructed us.

"Oh! Okay! Leave it to us!" Lloyd said cheerfully as Mark, him and Genis ran over to it.

"Oh my g…w…wait a minute! Arrgh…this thing is heavy!" He exclaimed in frustration.

"Let me take a shot at that." I said before picking it up with one hand. Everyone except Presea and Colette just stared.

"I've lost all confidence as a man." Lloyd said sadly as we walked over to the castle gates.

"Me too…" Genis droned.

"If you want to loose if forever, just stay here." Mark replied with a laugh.

"…Anyway, let's go inside." Raine urged as Presea followed Celes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Mark Anthony announced as we approached the guards.

"Wait! Is it not just Presea today?" the first guard asked.

"Who are you people?" The other queried. "Wait—Are you the ones Pastor Garcia told us about?"

"That's right." I replied. "He's my husband."

"We are helping her deliver the sacred wood to use in the prayer ceremony." Raine added.

"Today is…special…" Presea droned.

"All right, You may pass." The first guard caved. The doors opened and we let ourselves in.

"Well, we managed to make it inside." Lloyd said as we congregated in the main hall of the castle.

"What do we do with the sacred wood?" Genis asked Presea.

"…Leave it here." She replied.

"Okay, now let's go look for the royal chambers." Mark Anthony suggested.

"What will you do, Presea?" Genis asked the girl.

"Yes, sending her back alone would be suspicious." Raine noted. "Let's have her come with us."

"Would you do that for us?" Lloyd asked her.

"…" was her reply but regardless, she decided to tag along. After getting some clues about the Royal Family we chanced upon the King's Personal chambers. A long sentry stood outside the door.

"Hey, you." He said as we approached, "Who gave you permission to come here?"

"We brought the sacred wood but then were asked to aid with preparations for the prayers." Lloyd replied.

"It was an order from the Pope." Raine added.

"The Pope?" he asked. "Just a moment, I'll ask." As soon as he opened the door Katrin floored him with a blow to his head.

"Sorry about this!" Lloyd said as he and Mark moved the guard aside. After doing that we entered the King's Bedroom. Inside the room was a large, ornate bed with the King of Tethe'alla lying in it. Also present was Princess Hilda, the Pope, Alex, Kyle, Leon and…ZELOS?!

---

"What's going on?" The Pope demanded.

"Huh? It's you people." Zelos said absently.

"Ah! You're the one we met in…" Lloyd trailed in surprise.

"Chosen, do you know them?" The Pope asked Zelos. Cue shock on part of the Sylverant Team except Colette, of course.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say I know them." He replied dismissively and also with a hint of suspicion. Then he turned his attention to us. "Just what are you people doing here, anyway?"

"So you're Tethe'alla's Chosen of Mana…" Raine remarked with a hint of amusement.

"What?!" Lloyd and Genis said in unison.

"This guy's the Chosen?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"What do you mean 'Tethe'alla's'?" Zelos asked.

"Are you…from Sylverant?!" The Pope asked with a hint of dread.

"Yes, we are." Lloyd replied.

"These are people from the declining world?!" The Princess exclaimed in surprise.

"Some of us are from another world altogether…" I droned.

"And others out there we do not know the location of." Celes whispered with a laugh.

"Lloyd, for what purpose have you come here?" Zelos asked the wandering swordsman.

"We've come to deliver this letter. It's from Sheena of Mizuho to the King of Tethe'alla."

"Sheena?" The Chosen probed. "What's your relationship with Sheena?"

"There is none, I assure you." I said before laughing out loud.

"Sheena?!" The King suddenly exclaimed as he sat up.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us for causing a disturbance in your presence." The Pope said but the King signaled for him to stop and waved us closer.

"Lloyd…please give me the letter." The King said.

"…Here it is." Lloyd said as he handed him the envelope.

"People of Sylverant, please wait in the other room for a while." The King said.

"…Pastor Garcia, please show them to the Crimson Chamber." The Pope ordered.

"Yes, Your Eminence." He replied as he, Leon and Kyle showed us the door. While we were in the waiting room we took that time to introduce them to our group and fill the Sylverant Team in on how we knew them.

"Please tell me Aeris and Monet are not in this world." Celes said to Alex.

"Unfortunately, they are." He replied sadly. "As is Serenity."

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed. "Where?"

"Not in Meltokio." He replied. "Before Sheena went to Sylverant, I asked her to hide them in Mizuho until I could return for them. There they have been safe all this time."

"This is why I love you so much!" Celes said as they embraced. "As soon as we can, we're going to get them. Terra is going to want to know Serenity is here, too."

"They're making us wait a long time." Lloyd said after six hours passed since we entered the room. You had to admit it was starting to get quite suspicious.

"They may be preparing to kill us." Raine suggested. "To them, Colette is an obstacle and a threat."

"If things turn out like that, what will become of Presea?" Genis asked.

"We'll have to find some way to let her escape." Lloyd suggested.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Presea." Genis said to her. Presea just stood there as if she didn't hear him. Suddenly, the doors opened and in walked Zelos, the Pope and a pair of guards.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, travelers from Sylverant." The Pope apologized.

"So I take it you read the letter." Lloyd said.

"You want to use Tethe'allan technology to save the Chosen from your side…right?" Zelos asked him.

"Colette has lost her soul." Lloyd explained. "She'll lose her life as a human if she stays this way."

But as long as the Chosen lives, our world teeters on the brink of destruction." The Pope replied. On cue, the guards approached Colette.

"It's just like Raine said…" Genis trailed.

"Wait, please!" Lloyd pleaded. "Listen to what we—"

"I don't want to hear it!" The Pope snapped. "Get them!" When the guards tried to grab Colette she knocked them away without much effort.

"Damn! They can't even scratch her!" The Pope spat in disgust.

"See? I told you." Zelos replied. "They have Exspheres. Of course they're powerful."

"Hmmm, You're not as dumb as you look." Genis remarked with a look of amazement.

"Impudent little brat…" Zelos said as he looked at the half-elf, eyes narrowed.

"What would you say to making a deal?" Raine suggested.

"A deal?" The Pope repeated.

"Colette lost her soul because she was being reborn as an angel in order to save Sylverant." Said Raine. "But as long as she does not become an angel, Sylverant will not be saved."

"I see…so if we save the Chosen, Tethe'alla will be saved as well." Zelos said.

"That means you'll be abandoning Sylverant." The Pope pointed out.

"I don't care." The Professor quickly replied.

"Professor! What are you saying?!" Lloyd exclaimed as he fully understood where this was going.

"Our priority right now is to save Colette, is it not?" She reminded Lloyd.

"But…abandoning Sylverant…" Genis trailed.

"All right, That's fine." Lloyd said calmly. "Besides, Mark Anthony, Celes and Katrin here have had to be away from their world for some time already, and it wasn't by choice either."

"Is it okay to decide something like that so easily?" Genis asked.

"Right now, the most important thing is to save Colette." Lloyd reminded him. "That's why we came all the way to Tethe'alla, right?"

"Is there internal discord?" The Pope asked.

"No. We'll do as the Professor suggested and make a deal." Lloyd replied. "Please tell us how to save Colette."

"Say, Pope," Zelos said suddenly. "If these guys don't go back to Sylverant, then it doesn't matter if they're alive or dead. They can't complete the regeneration ritual. I'll go along and keep tabs on them. That should be fine."

"If you insist, Chosen One." The Pope said with a look of suspicion.

"Then, you'll save Colette, right?" asked Genis.

"Well, we'll do what we can, anyway." Zelos replied. "I swear on my name as Zelos, the Chosen of Tethe'alla."

"I'll give you permission to travel Tethe'alla, but only under the Chosen's observation." The Pope said.

"…I guess we don't have much of a choice." Lloyd huffed. "Okay, that's fine."

"Then it's settled!" Zelos said excitedly. "I'm going to go get ready, so can we meet up later?"

"Where do you want to meet?" I asked him.

"Hmmm…how about the Martel Cathedral?" Zelos suggested.

"All right." I replied. "We'll see you there."

"Then Chosen One, please report this to His Majesty." The Pope said before taking his leave of us.

"You got it." Zelos replied. "See you later, my gorgeous lady, sunshine, cute Chosen, next of kin and tiny rosebud. Oh, and you servant boys."

"We also need to let the King know we are leaving Meltokio as well." Alex said. "We may have been working under the Pope but only the King and Princess know our real story. After we have a word with him we'll meet you at the Cathedral."

"See you later, then!" Said Celes as we left the castle.

---

"I really want to know when we decided Lloyd would be the leader of the group." Genis mused as we walked to the Cathedral.

SMACK!

"For one, he knows how and when to make snap decisions when it matters the most." Raine replied.

"Then, I take it you guys got to see the King, then." We heard Hannah's voice say. We turned and saw her coming up the stars towards us. "Good. For a minute I thought I'd have to kidnap the Princess or something."

"When did you get here?" Mark Anthony asked her.

"Just now, silly." She replied. "I told you I was going to rejoin the group, didn't I? Well, now I'm here! Wait, where'd the others go?"

"They went looking for word about everyone else." Said Katrin. "And Sheena had to report to her chief about her failed assassination of Colette."

"I know I read somewhere that the golden rule when it comes to coming to a new place is to stay with the group." Hannah said with a look of amusement. "It can't be helped, I guess. Let's get going, eh?"

"Wait—whatever happened to mom?" Mark asked her.

"She had something she wanted to do but she said she'll meet up with us at a later time." She replied. "The plans I've been working on prevent me from going farther."

"For the time being, let's just meet up with Zelos." Celes mused as we entered the church.

"Yo, Lloyd!" Zelos exclaimed as we came in. "You're finally here."

"Ah…Zelos, right?" Lloyd replied as he shook his hand.

"Yep, yep! I am Tethe'alla's Chosen of Mana, The Great Zelos Wilder!" He exclaimed, "But you can just call me Zelos." This earned vacant stares from the rest of us.

"We're going to be traveling together for a while so, um…let's be friends, okay?" Zelos suggested.

"He sounds like he doesn't take anything seriously." Genis noted. Zelos ignored him.

"Let's see, putting aside the guys…this gorgeous beauty is Raine, right? Celes and Katrin Toss, yes? And then this cool cutie here would be Colette. And then who's this little one?"

"Presea. She helped us sneak into the castle." Genis replied.

"The little one isn't from Sylverant?" Zelos asked in surprise.

"…Ozette." Presea said.

"Ozette!" The Chosen exclaimed. "That village out in the boondocks--…ah, I mean, out in the forest?! Oh, that's so sad. You're being used by these uncivilized barbarians."

"Who are you calling uncivilized barbarians?!" Lloyd snapped.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't get mad, especially after all the trouble I went through to contact the Imperial Research Academy for you." Zelos told him.

"Not bad, Zelos." Lloyd remarked,

"Using the Research Academy requires permission from the King, but when the great Zelos speaks, His Majesty listens." Zelos replied in similar fashion.

"Since you're going to be keeping tabs on us, I'd certainly expect that much." Genis remarked in disgust.

"You're an obnoxious brat, you know?" Zelos said as he stared him down.

"Going to the Imperial Research Academy is fine, but can we have you free Presea?" Raine asked Zelos. "Surely you don't need to keep tabs on her as well."

"No. The Imperial Research Academy and Ozette are both on the continent across the sea." He replied. "So we can just drop her off when we go."

"I…I agree!" Genis exclaimed. "That's a great idea!!"

"Is that okay with you, Presea?" Lloyd asked the girl. She nodded her approval. "Okay then, where should we go?"

"To Sybak." Zelos replied. "It's on the other side of the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. It's northeast of here."

"The Imperial Research Academy…I'm getting excited just thinking about it!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Let's go, everybody!"

"Wait for us!" Alex said as he, Kyle and Leon came into the room. "Sorry we took so long. We just needed to gather our things."

"Let me guess—the Pope wants you three to baby sit me." Zelos mused.

"Not even close," I replied. "They're members of our group but only recently have we been able to meet up with them. There are also other members of our group in Tethe'alla for us to find or meet back up with."

"Just how many of you are here, anyway?" asked Zelos. "I'd heard a female swordfighter and Archer were looking for mysterious relics and all who challenged them met a quick end."

"That would be me and Terra." Hannah replied with a laugh. "When we're on the job we let no one get in the way!"

-----

And so ends Chapter 14. As you can see, I stretched the chapter quite a bit. It'll be more of the same with Chapter 13, too…


	13. Chapter 13: Expect the Unexpected

---

Chapter 13: Expecting the Unexpected

---

A/N: Something devious happens to three people this chapter. What is it and who are they? Read on and see…

---

Whoa, that's a huge bridge!" Lloyd exclaimed as we reached the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. Zelos chose that moment to rub it in a bit more.

"Listen and be amazed, bumpkins." He began. "This is the greatest drawbridge in the world. It connects the continents of Altamira and Fooji. Its control system incorporates 3,000 Exspheres." The faces of Lloyd, Genis and Raine paled at this.

"Three thousand…" Genis trailed in horror. "Three thousand…human lives…"

"What? What's wrong?" Zelos asked. "What's with those faces?"

"I suppose we'd better tell you." Raine said. Everyone then took turns telling him the real truth about exspheres and how they were made.

"That's a pretty sobering story." He remarked. "Is that really true?"

"Do you think we'd make up something like that?" Lloyd asked with a look of disgust.

"Oh, well, even so, it's not like the dead are going to come back to life at this point." Zelos replied dismissively. "It's always best to look on the bright side of things!" That earned a look of surprise from everyone else.

"I can't tell if he's a positive thinker or just doesn't care about anything…" Hannah remarked in amazement.

"Since we're on the subject, you and Presea both have Exspheres, too." Lloyd said to Zelos. "Does everyone have Exspheres in this world? It didn't sound like it from the way Sheena talked about them."

"Hmm, nope." He replied. "I got this from these guys who call themselves the Renegades. They distributed quite a few of them to Sheena and the Papal Knights and such."

"And Presea?" Genis asked. She just stood there as if he never asked.

"She's so talkative." Zelos mused.

As we crossed the bridge, something from the tower of salvation came back to me. Now that Hannah was back, I thought it best to ask her directly. "Why was Celes used in the way she was?" I asked her. "To ask it more directly--why HER?"

"Because she, like you is capable of using the Trinity Blade." She replied rather calmly. I stared at her in shock. Was she being serious?! "The baby girl she gave birth to has the blood of humans and elves. This was necessary for reasons similar to why Colette lost her soul."

"You don't mean…!" I exclaimed.

"And then some." She confirmed. "Need I say more?"

"Well then, I'd like to take this opportunity to decide everyone's nicknames!" Zelos suddenly exclaimed.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?" Lloyd asked him.

"You can call me 'Mr. Zelos." He said in a more formal manner. "Presea will be 'Little One', Colette is "Miss Angel', Celes is 'Sunshine', Lloyd is, 'Hey You', Mark Anthony is 'Other Guy' and Genis is 'Brat'.

"Gee, you must have spent a long time thinking up the guys' names." Genis said sarcastically.

"Don't mention it." The Chosen replied with a grin. "And while Raine will be "Gorgeous, Ultra Cool Beauty, Katrin will be Mrs. Zelos Wilder!"

"I don't want to be called something like that!" Raine exclaimed in horror.

"Huh? Then 'Her Highness?" he asked.

"Zelos...can't you come up with something a little more normal?" Raine suggested.

"The Professor is the Professor." Lloyd added. "What else would she be?"

"Hmmm...Professor...that does have a nice ring to it." Zelos remarked. "The bewitching female teacher...Heh he!"

"...Oh, fine whatever, I don't care any more." Raine said as she turned away from him.

"Okay then, "Professor Raine" it is!" Zelos exclaimed with his trademark grin. We continued on our way to Sybak without further incident. As soon as we entered the city however, Presea started acting weird.

"I hate…this city…" She said as she covered her face. "Hurry…to Ozette…"

"I…I'm sorry, Presea." Genis consoled.

"Wait just a minute, little one." Zelos added reassuringly. "We'll be done in a jiffy. Right, Lloyd?"

"Yeah…I'm sorry." He replied in his usual manner. When we reached the Imperial Research Academy Zelos exchanged words with the lead researcher on exspheres. He was quick to show us inside, of course.

"Upon receiving the report of Colette's symptoms, we focused our attention on research data regarding the Chosen's Cruxis Crystal." The researcher explained in the cafeteria; there were so many of us there was no way we'd fit in any other room!

"Well now, so my crystal WAS useful." Zelos mused. "When Colette returns to normal, I'll need to make sure she thanks me generously."

"Please…some other time…" Celes replied.

"Cruxis Crystals are thought to be evolved forms of Exspheres." The researcher continued. "Both Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals are lifeless beings."

"What did you say?!" Raine exclaimed.

"Lifeless? What?" Lloyd asked in similar fashion.

"Lifeless beings…How should I put it?" Raine said as she prepared to explain something in the only known way Lloyd could understand. "Basically, Exspheres are alive though not in the same way we are."

"Yes. Both of these crystals are like parasites fusing with other life forms." The researcher confirmed.

"Parasites…hmm…That's not a very pleasant thought." Lloyd said thoughtfully as he looked at his own.

"When this happens, the mana within the body loses balance and goes out of control without a Key Crest." The researcher continued.

"So that's why Exspheres without Key Crests turn people into monsters." Genis said thoughtfully.

"In other words, since Cruxis Crystals possess the same qualities as Exspheres, we surmise that Colette is suffering from a parasitical infection by the Cruxis Crystal." The researcher finished.

"I see. In which case, the ritual of releasing the seals may be promoting the fusion with the Cruxis Crystal." Raine said in similar fashion. "Fascinating…"

"Professor, don't talk like that after all the bad things that keep happening to Colette…" Lloyd said sadly as he looked at the soul less Colette.

"Then, if she had a Key Crest, she'd return to normal, right?" Zelos asked.

"Yes, she should be able to freely control the Cruxis Crystal if she had a Key Crest." The researcher replied.

"A Key Crest, huh?" asked Lloyd. "I wonder if we can get one somewhere."

"Here." Hannah said as she entered the room. "This should do."

---

"I didn't even hear you leave!" Lloyd exclaimed in amazement.

"That's because I disappeared right after we entered the city." She replied. "Now can you help Colette with it or not?"

"I'll borrow a lab at the Academy and fix it." He said after examining it. After finding one Lloyd asked the rest of us to wait in the hall. He re-emerged about 2 hours later. "I didn't think I'd be giving you your birthday present like this." He said to Colette as he put the Key Crest on her. "I've attached a Key Crest to your necklace. It's late, but it's my present for you. Colette? Can you hear me?" Like before, there was no response.

"How is it?" Katrin asked.

"It doesn't seem to work…" Lloyd replied dejectedly. "Damn it!"

"How about asking Dirk for help?" Raine suggested.

"But Dirk's in Sylverant." Genis replied. "And the Reihards are out of fuel…"

"Maybe the people here at the Academy might know of a way." Lloyd said thoughtfully.

"Hey, wait just a moment!" Zelos exclaimed. "Aren't you forgetting something? I'm here to keep tabs on you! I can't let you go back to Sylverant!"

"Well then, just come along with us, oh compassionate Chosen One." I suggested.

"What? Are you serious?" he asked me.

"You're kind to girls, right?" Katrin asked him. "Do us this favor and my sister and I will make it worth your while."

"Yeah, it's to save Colette." Genis added. "You'll keep quiet about it for us, right?"

"Great, how am I supposed to snitch after hearing that?" He caved.

"Okay, then all we need now is fuel…" Lloyd said thoughtfully. Suddenly, a bunch of Papal Knights surrounded us!

Chosen, we heard what you said just now." One of them said. "We hereby declare you and your companions to be traitors attempting to destroy Tethe'alla."

"…Humph, well that was perfect timing, Mr. Papal Knight." Zelos replied in a rather amused fashion.

"By the Pope's orders." another Knight added. "We are to watch you for suspicions of plotting against the throne."

"Now THAT'S amusing," Zelos said in a more serious tone. "I'M the one who's plotting against the throne?"

"Restrain them and take a sample." The Captain ordered. "Don't touch the angel. If you approach her carelessly, she'll kill you."

"What are you doing?!" Lloyd exclaimed after the knights had fun drawing blood from all of us.

"Criminals undergo biological tests before they are arrested." Zelos replied. "It's because of the caste system here. Some half-elves don't look any different from humans. It's necessary to detect them."

"Sir, we found a match!" One of the knights who bound Raine and Genis suddenly exclaimed.

"Genis, Professor!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"So you're half-elves!" The Captain exclaimed in disgust.

"Half Elves?" Zelos repeated as he stared at them. "Is that true?"

"That's right." Raine replied as she stared back.

"Raine!" Genis exclaimed in surprise.

"There's no point in trying to hide it now…" Raine said before he could argue.

"These pathetic half-elves have engaged in shameless caste deception." The captain spat.

"What did you say?!" Lloyd fumed. "The Professor and Genis are much better people than you! Who cares if they're half-elves?"

"I don't know what it's like in your world but over here, half-elves are at the bottom of the caste system." Zelos explained.

"Half-elves guilty of crimes are all executed without exception." The Captain explained.

"That's insane!" Lloyd boomed.

"Take them away." The captain ordered. We watched as Genis and Raine were led out of the Research Academy.

"Professor, Genis!" Lloyd called after them, but to no avail.

"Change in plans." The Captain said as he turned to the rest of his men. "Half-elves can use magic, so we must keep them under heavy guard…"

"We don't have any spare forces." Another Knight pointed out.

"We'll return to the bridge and call for reinforcements." The other knight replied. "As for the Chosen and the others, just lock them in the basement or something." We were then led downstairs to a laboratory in the basement of the Imperial Research Academy.

"Who's there?" One of the White Coats asked as we were thrust into the room.

"Don't speak to us, half-elf." The Captain retorted. "Be quiet and continue your work."

"They are criminals, Kate." The researcher from before explained. "Hold them here until we return for them."

---

"Criminals…if you're had the good fortune of being born human, don't throw it away like that." Kate said after the others left.

"We haven't done anything!" Lloyd pointed out.

"Well, you did try to go back to Sylverant." Zelos replied. Lloyd ignored him. As Kate stared at us she spotted Presea amongst our group.

"Presea? You're Presea! Why are you here?!" She exclaimed.

"You know Presea?" Lloyd asked.

"Ah…I…she's…" Kate fumbled.

"A half-elf in the Imperial Research Academy is acquainted with a human child?" Zelos marveled. "That's strange."

"Why?" Lloyd asked him.

"I told you, half-elves are treated like garbage in this world." Zelos replied. "The half-elves that work at the Imperial Research Academy never leave their labs…ever."

"That's insane…" Lloyd mused sadly.

"What's insane is the fact that you keep bringing that up all of a sudden." I remarked.

"Let's put that aside for now." Zelos replied. "How does a half-elf that can never leave here know Presea?"

"This child is my team's research sample." She replied.

"Research?" Lloyd repeated. "What kind of research?

"Research to manufacture Cruxis Crystals inside the human body," She replied.

"You can make Cruxis Crystals?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"Yes" she replied. "Theoretically, they are no different than Exspheres. By allowing them to slowly feed on a human body—"

"What?!" he exclaimed. Kate looked at him in surprise.

That's the same way the Desians made Exspheres!" he fumed.

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I'm saying, how could you treat people that way?" he asked.

"I could ask you the exact same thing." Kate replied. "How can you humans treat half-elves the way you do?"

"I treat them the same as everyone else." Lloyd shot back. "There's no difference between the lives of humans and half-elves!"

"He isn't from Tethe'alla." We heard Sheena say before she appeared in the room. With her were Ann, Angel and Fin. "He's a strange one who was raised in Sylverant with half-elves and a dwarf."

"Sheena! How did you know we were—" he began.

"I'll explain later." Ann replied before he could finish. "Genis and Raine are being taken to Meltokio. If we go after them now, we should be able to save them!"

"Are you planning on running away?" Kate asked us.

"Are you going to try to stop us?" Sheena asked her.

"He's going to save his half-elf best friend." Zelos explained. "What are you going to do, Miss Half-elf?"

"I…I won't let you trick me…" She replied. "There's no way a human would save a half-elf."

But Kate, I did hear they arrested two half-elves up above." Her assistant noted.

"There's no time." Lloyd pressed. "If you're going to get in our way, we'll just have to fight you!"

"Fine." She replied. "I'll let you go if you promise that once you've saved your half-elf friends, you will come back here. If what you've said is true…I'll release Presea from her experiment."

"You promise?" he asked in surprise.

"I swear it." She replied before showing us a hidden passage. "You can escape to the surface through this door."

"Thanks!" Lloyd said as we made our way into daylight.

"Hurry!" Sheena pressed. "We need to head for the bridge!"

"By whose order was Presea's experiment carried out?" Zelos asked Kate.

"I…can't say." She replied.

"The Pope, then." He said before turning to go. The look he gave her confirmed it.

---

"Of all the times to be making a mad dash across this god-forsaken bridge…" Fin fumed as we gave chase.

"At least you don't use weapons." Katrin remarked. "My Lance isn't the lightest thing, after all."

"If dad were here he'd probably run on water!" Angel exclaimed. Then we came to the drawbridge, which began to rise.

"Damn, they're trying to cut us off!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Come on, we'll have to jump it!"

"What! Wait! Time-out! Are you nuts?!" he asked Lloyd. "We'll die if we fall from here!"

"And if we abandon them, they'll die, too!" he shot back before he went on.

"Let us continue our pursuit." Presea suggested before joining him.

"Man…" Zelos moaned as he brought up the rear. We got a good running start but too much space passed for everyone to clear it. Those with wings immediately unfurled them to make the cut.

"AH!" Lloyd screamed as he and the others fell.

"Undine, Help!!" Sheena exclaimed as she summoned the Maiden of The Mist, who used her power to save them.

"Safe landing due to an unknown force." Presea reported. "No damage detected."

"Phew…I thought I was going to die." Zelos breathed.

"Thanks, Sheena!" Lloyd cried.

"I'm sure glad I was able to summon her…" Sheena acknowledged.

"Excuse me, but Professor Sage and Genis are…" Presea said, returning our attention to the task at hand.

"That's right, we have to save them!" Lloyd said as we ran off again. Very quickly, we caught up with them.

"Damn, they must have escaped!" The Captain spat.

"Give us back our friends!" Lloyd demanded.

"Silence!" another knight said as they pulled out their lances.

"I'll handle this." Alex said suddenly as he stepped forward.

"Alex?" Ann asked.

"What does a pastor have against a squad of well-trained Papal Knights?" Zelos asked.

"Funny you should say that." I replied with a grin.

"I call upon the Power of Holy Force!" he began. "By the power of all that is holy and good, caste your divine Light of Judgement upon these corrupt souls!" We then saw a huge yellow run appear under all the Papal Knights.

"Uh-oh…" I trailed when I realized what was about to happen.

"Sinners, be judged!" Alex exclaimed as he held his staff above his head. "Divine Pile Driver!" And that's when all resistance was blasted with a highly concentrated amount of Holy Energy. The Knights never stood a chance. We watched as they were all struck down with Alex's devastating attack.

"That could put even Yggdrassil to shame…" Mark Anthony marveled.

"He's been practicing that since we came here." Kyle commented. "But to see it this powerful…"

"Lloyd, Everyone!" Genis said as he and Raine ran over to us.

"You came to rescue us." Raine said in amazement.

"Of course!" Lloyd replied. "You're our friends!"

"But we're half-elves." Genis pointed out.

"So what's your point?" Lloyd shot back with a grin.

"Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed as the two embraced.

"What about the Tethe'alla half of our group?" Raine asked. "Do you mind if we join up with you?"

"I'm from Mizuho." Sheena noted. "We're not exactly mainstream either. We're not that different."

"To tell you the truth, I can't say I'm really kosher with this." Said Zelos. "Then again, people have always treated me differently, saying that I'm a descendent of angels. So in a way we're a lot alike."

"I just want to go home." said Presea.

"I see…All right, then." The Professor said after hearing us all.

"By the way, why are Sheena and Ann here?" asked Lloyd.

"We found the Village of Mizuho purely by accident." said Angel. "When Mom mentioned she'd defeated Sheena in a duel in Sylverant they she train their clan."

"Of course, I agreed to do that only if they helped us find the rest of our group." Ann replied. "When Sheena came 2 days later, Tiga gave her the opportunity to redeem herself."

"I have orders from my chief." said Sheena. "I'm supposed to observe your activities."

"That's typical of Mizuho. They're trying to decide if they should side with the King or you guys."

"So now we have two people keeping tabs on us." Genis noted.

"But I'm not trying to do anything or get in your way or anything!" Sheena pointed out.

"We know that already." Raine replied reassuringly. "You're an honest person…perhaps to a fault."

"At this point, I'm okay with anything." said Lloyd. "Now we just need Sheena to form a pact with Volt and we can get those Reihards working!"

"Volt?!" she exclaimed. This earned a look of surprise from everyone except Colette.

"Sheena?" Presea asked curiously.

"…Ah…nothing." She said before turning to Ann. "And don't you DARE tell them!"

"Ok…" Genis and Angel said in unison.

"Then shouldn't we go get the Reihards first?" Zelos suggested. "Either way, Volt's temple is on the other side of the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. It'll be faster if we pick up the Reihards since the bridge is closed off right now."

"Pick up?" asked Lloyd. "How are you planning on moving these things?"

"Heh, just leave that to me!" The Chosen beamed. "I prepared a secret weapon just in case something like this happened."

"What secret weapon?" Genis asked him.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I spoiled the surprise!" Zelos shot back. "Now let's get going to the Fooji Mountains!"

---

"So monsters really started to appear, but the regeneration ritual wasn't complete." Sheena noted. "What's going on here?!"

"…If it's not caused by a decline in mana, then it may be the work of Cruxis." Raine replied.

"Anybody care to quick jump?" Angel asked suddenly.

"What?" Genis asked.

"While I was in Mizuho I practiced with it a bit." She replied. "Now I can simply use to take us anywhere any of us has visited before."

"That sounds pretty useful." Lloyd remarked. "How about getting us to the top of the mountains?"

"Consider it done!" Angel said before we teleported. When we looked around we were indeed at the top of the Fooji Mountains. Amazingly, the Reihards were still there.

"Hey, Zelos, how are we going to carry these?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, I'll show you." He replied with a grin. "Come over here for a sec." As we started to follow him almost everyone became trapped in some kind of barrier.

"When in the…" Hannah trailed as she watched from outside of it."

"How did Hannah, Colette and Celes MISS that?" I asked.

"It's probably because Hannah and I flew up here." Celes replied with a grin. "Not sure about Colette, though."

Idiots, you've walked right into my trap!" Yuan said as he and a few Renegades appeared. Presea, Sheena and the Sylverant Team looked at Zelos.

"He just called you a fool." Lloyd said to him with a smirk.

"Zelos…is clumsy." Presea noted.

"Gah…I am so sad now…" the chosen droned.

"You're lucky this was all a mistake." Yuan said as he walked over to us. "We had heard Damien and Aurina were on their way here to take the Reihards and the trap set was originally meant for THEM. Just what are you all doing here, anyway?"

"We thought to pick the Reihards up before we headed for the Lightning Temple so Sheena could make a pact with Volt." Hannah replied. "Had I been aware you were watching this place I'd have planned ahead."

You, retrieve the Reihards." Yuan said to one of his underlings before turning back to Hannah. "I'll have them repaired at our base in near Flanoir. Once Sheena makes the pact with Volt you can head there to pick them up."

"Sounds like a plan." Celes said with a smile. "Now, how about getting Lloyd, Mark and the others—"

"Oh? Lord Yuan and Lord Hannah, what brings you to this place?" We heard a new voice say. Everyone turned to see Pronyma, Abyssion and Damien descend upon the mountain.

"I think I've seen that lady somewhere before…" Genis trailed.

"I should ask you the same, Pronyma!" Yuan shot back. "The role of you Desians is to wreak havoc upon the declining world!"

"I have come here on Lord Yggdrassil's order to retrieve Colette and Celes." Pronyma replied. "Please turn her over to me." Right then I knew someone had to think fast. There was no way Pronyma and Abyssion could know Yuan was helping us.

"Sure thing," Hannah replied quickly. "But in exchange for handing over the girls, we are taking custody of Lloyd and Mark Anthony. I trust you have no objections?"

"I have received no orders in regards to them so please do as you wish, my lady." Pronyma replied curtly as she walked over to them. "What is this? Why is there such a crude Kay Crest upon the Cruxis Crystal? How pathetic. I shall remove this ugly thing at once."

"N…no!!" Colette suddenly said as her eyes returned to normal. "This is a birthday present that Lloyd gave me!"

"Colette…spoke!" Angel exclaimed.

"Why is everyone…inside that thing?" Colette asked when she noticed we were inside Yuan's trap.

" This is impossible!" Abyssion exclaimed. "There's no way that pitiful Key Crest could restrain the Cruxis Crystal!"

"Not bad Lloyd!" Zelos remarked.

"How could this happen?" Pronyma wondered aloud. "Still, in the end it is but a worthless bauble. It shan't last long! Now, come with me!" When Pronyma tried to grab Colette she smacked her across the face with her Chalkrams. Celes took that moment to draw her sword and point it at Abyssion.

"I'd rather die than go ANYWHERE with you." She said. Suddenly, Colette stumbled and fell on something on the ground. The barrier fizzled before it quit. We were free!

"Oh…oh, no!" she cried. "I broke it!!"

"All right! Good job, my little Colette!" Zelos cheered. "I think I'm falling in love!"

"Ha, ha, now that's our Colette!" Genis beamed.

"Some things never change…" Raine mused.

"That brought back some painful memories…" Sheena said in reference to when she first met Colette.

"Lloyd, thank you for the present!" Colette said as we came over to the girls. "I was so happy. I was really happy, but there wasn't anything I could do at the time."

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Lloyd said reassuringly.

"Behind you!" Katrin suddenly said, returning our attention to Pronyma and Abyssion.

"You impudent--prepare to die!" Pronyma cried as she, Abyssion and Damien attacked us.

---

"Now would be a good time to make use of that Dragon I made a pact with before we came here." Hannah remarked as she unsheathed her sword.

"Isn't that going to take awhile?" asked Ann.

"Yes it is." She replied. "Mark and Celes, keep Abyssion busy until I'm done. Think you can handle it?"

"If we don't, we'll die trying!" I exclaimed as Mark and I ran forward. Lloyd's group kept Pronyma busy while Fin, Katrin, Leon and Angel kept Damien occupied.

"Your father won't even recognize you when I'm done with you." Abyssion said as his sword began to glow. "METEOR!" We watched in horror as a large, flaming Meteor fell from the sky. Uh-Oh!

"Light Brand!" Mark Anthony said before redirecting the attack back at him. Since he didn't expect that, he took it in full. Celes, now! Use an Angelic Skill!"

"Holy Light, cast your power upon this corrupt soul with the Light of Judgement!" I said before Abyssion was throttled into the air.

"Reveal thyself, o Dragon of the Earth!" Hannah said as a green rune began to glow brightly around her. "The Highest Mountains and Deepest Valleys bend to your very whim! I summon you! Come, Saphira!" A large, emerald-colored dragon came and started spewing energy from its mouth. It easily dispatched Damien and set its sights on Abyssion, who was defenseless.

"This is the perfect opportunity!" Hannah exclaimed with a grin. "Saphira, let's finish this!" Just as Saphira was about to strike, Leviathan appeared out of nowhere and stopped her attack! After doing that, it descended and two passengers got off.

"TED!" Ann and Hannah said at the same time.

"Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed in similar fashion.

"What are you doing here?" Yuan asked them.

"Leave, Yuan." said Kratos. "Lord Yggdrassil has summoned you."

"Are you taking the Chosen of Sylverant?" He asked.

"No…we shall leave her for now." Kratos replied. "It's the Toxicosis."

"I see…" He replied thoughtfully. "This changes things dramatically." With that, he spread his wings and flew away.

"He's an angel, too?" Sheena wondered aloud.

"You have no idea." Said Dad before turning to Hannah. "Lord Yggdrassil would like to see you as well. It's regarding that recon mission you sent Terra on."

"That still doesn't explain WHY you interrupted my Dragon's Attack with your Beast of the Sea." Hannah replied. "That was my first time summoning her since I made the pact!"

"Somehow I know it won't be the last." Ann remarked.

"Would someone mind filling us in on what's going on?" asked Katrin.

"No, not really." Said Hannah. "I'm confused as hell right now."

"Too bad." Dad replied. "Oh, and Celes will be going with you as well. In exchange, Kratos and Damien will be joining Lloyd and Mark's group."

"WHAT?!" Lloyd and I exclaimed at the same time.

"I don't like the idea either but thanks to that stunt we all pulled in the Tower of Salvation, let's just say Yggdrassil's trust of all four of us is shot to hell." Abyssion replied. "That and he doesn't want anything to interfere with his future plans."

"I don't know what the hell is going on but I surely intend to find out!" Hannah exclaimed before she, Abyssion and Pronyma flew away.

---

"So what's this really about?" Celes asked Dad.

"It's the child you had in the Tower of Salvation." He explained. "Since it is half-human, Mithos wants you to spend some time with her."

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Martel." Kratos replied. "She looks just like her namesake, by the way."

"Will I be able to return?" she asked Dad.

"It's really up to him." Dad replied. "Though, I think I can make a few arrangements to accommodate you. Kratos, I'm leaving my wife and children in your more than capable hands. As for you Zelos, don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"What?" Zelos asked.

"I think you know what I mean." He replied thoughtfully before leaving with Celes. And then everyone turned their attention to our new party members.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" asked Kratos.

"What?" Lloyd replied.

"Why have you come all the way here to Tethe'alla?" Kratos rephrased.

"I'm here to save Colette…" Lloyd replied.

"What good will saving the Chosen do?" he asked. "The relation of the two worlds vying for each other's mana will not change. Their positions have merely been reversed by the regeneration ritual.

"Has Tethe'alla begun to decline?" Sheena asked him.

"The Tower of Salvation can still be seen from this world as well." The Seraph replied. "As long as that exists here, it means that this world is still flourishing. Although, in the event that the Chosen or Celes' child becomes Martel's vessel, Tethe'alla will surely bid farewell to its era of prosperity."

"Isn't there anything that can be done?" asked Lloyd. "Yggdrassil's the one that built this twisted world!"

"Lord Yggdrassil does not consider it twisted." Damien remarked. "If you want to do something about it, use your own head."

"This stupid system of two worlds stealing mana from each other--I swear I'll change it!" Lloyd vowed.

"Heh…we'll see if you can…" Kratos said with a smile. "By the way, Pronyma was the woman we saw on the projector at the Asgard Ranch. She's currently a member of Cruxis and is Leader of the Five Grand Cardinals."

"Now that Abyssion came to interfere and all—it looks like the Desians and Cruxis are really the same organization…" Genis noted.

"It would appear that Yuan is connected to Cruxis as well." Raine added. "Care to fill us in?"

"It's not my place to do such a thing." Kratos replied.

"Colette, is everything else back to normal?" Genis asked. "Besides your voice, can you feel things and such?"

"Yup, I think I'm okay." She replied. "Thanks, everyone. And I'm sorry I made all of you worry so much. Hey, you know what? I think I'm hungry for the first time in a long while!"

"That's great!" Lloyd exclaimed ash Colette made her wings appear.

"It looks like I still have wings, though." She noted.

"Hmmm, just like I thought." Zelos said thoughtfully. "Colette is definitely cuter when she smiles!"

Let's see, you're…Zelos?" Colette asked.

"Ohh, You remembered my name!" he beamed. "We Chosen have to stick together, you know what I mean?"

"Now what shall we do?" asked Raine. "Since Colette has regained her soul there's no need for us to head immediately back to Sylverant, but…"

"We know what we have to do!" Lloyd declared. "We're going to search for a way to save both worlds in order to prevent any more Chosen like Colette!"

"I agree with Lloyd." Colette added. "I promised Sheena, too."

"What about Presea?" asked Genis. "It's not fair to keep dragging her around like this!"

"I…want to go home." Presea said.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Zelos exclaimed. "We need to bring Presea to that Kate chick."

"Unfortunately, I doubt we can use the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge anymore." Raine noted.

"Hmm…I have contacts in Meltokio." Sheena said thoughtfully. "Let's ask them for help."

"But we're wanted traitors." Alex reminded her. "Can we even get INTO Meltokio?"

"Leave that to me." Zelos said thoughtfully. "I know Meltokio like the back of my head."

"That's nice, but you could' just ask me to Quick Jump." Angel replied.

"You can get all of us into the city?!" asked Leon. "We are pretty far."

"That's why you're going to help me." She replied with a smile. "if we combine our power, we should be fine."

"Ok, I'll give it a shot!" Leon exclaimed as a magic circle appeared under us.

---

Well, I am stopping here because of how the next chapter opens. Again, I apologize for the wait but this story DOES take awhile to write chapter by chapter. The next one won't be as long as this one (18 PAGES!) but it covers quite a bit…


	14. Chapter 14: Fugitives from Justice

---

Chapter 14: Fugitives from the Law

---

A/N: Sigh…Let me put it this way. Despite all the editing I have been doing I can no longer put a guarantee on when the next chapter will be out. Just know that as usual, the wait is always worth it!

That and I've decided to update this story and Pokemon Ruby: My Version at the same time. Don't worry—I didn't forget about "Making up Lost Time". It just happens that this story and my Pokemon one are taking the same amount of time to update for some reason…

---

"Is this the SEWER?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"What a stench…." Sheena remarked.

"Sorry about that." Said Zelos. Everyone chose then to move away form him.

"I think we concentrated too hard on where in the city we'd be." Said Angel.

"I think this is actually better for us." said Katrin. "I think we'd get a lot of attention if we warped into the courtyard."

"I agree, but can we head for the exit now?" asked Genis. "Something about this place doesn't seem right." Right after saying that, a trio of thugs appeared before us.

"What's going on?" asked Zelos.

"I sense…danger." Presea warned.

"We've been waiting for you, travelers from Sylverant." One of them said.

"The Pope promised to lighten our sentences if we got rid of you." Said another. "We've got nothing personal against you, but we need you to die!"

"How about no?" I asked before hitting the mall at once with Super Lightning Blade. After doing that, they fell back to regroup. We were about to give chase when another, larger man appeared out of nowhere and knocked Zelos down.

"AHH!" Zelos Screamed.

"Don't move." The man warned. "If you move, the Chosen dies. Understand?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You think you can get away with doing something like this to the Chosen?" Zelos asked nervously.

"One who plots the destruction of the world can no longer be deemed the Chosen." The man replied.

"Oh…hey, Lloyd! If you abandon me here, I swear, I'll come back to haunt you!" Zelos warned.

"I just had a sudden, violent urge to abandon you." Lloyd replied sarcastically. Presea chose that moment to step in. With a swing of her ax the man took a step back. In the new light I recognized him immediately as Regal Bryant. Zelos chose then to run back to our group and held into Lloyd for dear life.

"You're…!" Regal exclaimed as he stared at Presea. Before he could continue, Leon and Genis attacked with magic, forcing him and his cohorts to retreat.

"Looks like it's over for now." Lloyd said once the danger was gone.

"Thank goodness everyone's okay!" Colette exclaimed. We then exited the sewers and headed for the Elemental Research Academy. After meeting Sheena's friend Kuchinawa, we were told our means of getting across the sea would be ready the next day. In the meantime, Zelos offered to let us spend the night at his mansion.

"Welcome home, Chosen One." Zelos' butler Sebastian said when we arrived.

"Yo, I'm back. Anything happen while I was gone?" Zelos asked him.

"I was instructed by the Pope and an emissary of His Majesty Tethe'alla the 18th to report as soon as the Chosen returned." He replied.

"You can just ignore that." Zelos said with a grin.

"Yes, sir. Ahh…and who is the guest with the two swords?" he asked.

"My Bud, Lloyd." Zelos replied. Everyone, just make yourselves at home."

"If there is anything you need Sir Lloyd, please speak to me." The butler said before walking down the hall.

At this point, everyone chose then to split up and wander the grounds. "Remember not the leave the house until tomorrow." Fin warned. "We're wanted by the Papal Knights, after all."

While Lloyd talked with the Sylverant and Tethe'alla members of the group the rest of us were still trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. "If Cruxis knew we were all friends then this would be dangerous." Katrin remarked after everyone else had fallen asleep that night.

"Still, it's better if everyone thinks we're enemies." said Damien. "Even Lloyd's group should be kept in the dark about this."

"All the world's a stage and we're only players." Said Ann. "What I'd really like to know is what that recon mission Terra's on is all about."

"When and if Hannah meets up with us, I'm sure we'll find out." said Angel. "I'm more worried about Celes than anything else."

"I second that cause for concern." Katrin remarked as I looked out the window at the stars…

---

"Okay then, let's go to the Elemental Research Laboratory!" Lloyd chimed the next morning. Then he noticed Colette' neck was slightly hung. "Colette, what's wrong?"

"I think I slept wrong." She replied. "My shoulder feels stiff." When we went back to the ERL we found out Kuchinawa had the EC and was waiting for us at the GTB. Angel used her Quick Jump Ability to teleport us all there, where we met up with him and took the EC to Sybak.

Upon arriving there we were shocked to see Hannah there and waiting. "Change of plans, Kratos." She said as she drew her sword. "I'm going to need to take Colette with me to Derris Kharlan.

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed at the same time.

"Abyssion and Aurina spilled everything and Celes is being held prisoner." She replied. "Right now, Ted and Yuan are fighting an Army of Angels led by Pronyma. I barely managed to escape to come here. If I bring back Colette then all will be forgiven."

"…I have no intention of fighting you inside the city." Kratos said as they exchanged blows, knocking Hannah back.

"Whoa!" Mark exclaimed.

"And it seems you still lack the skills to defeat me." Kratos continued.

"Don't insult me!" Hannah exclaimed.

"I merely speak the truth." The Seraph rebutted.

"That's enough!" a new voice said from nowhere. Everyone turned around to see Yuan standing there. "Besides, she was only pretending."

"What?" Raine asked with a look of surprise.

"It was actually Ted's idea." He replied. "He asked us to test you two to make sure you wouldn't be so easily moved while he's away. He'll be pleased with the news I'll be giving him."

"Are you serious?" asked Damien.

"Of course," Hannah replied as she walked over to Yuan. "I think now's a good time as any to…" and that's when the pair revealed themselves to be Pronyma and…Remiel?!

"But Celes killed you!" Angel exclaimed.

"Not quite." Pronyma replied with an evil laugh. "And you fell for our little charade to boot. I must report this little bit of news to Lord Yggdrassil at once. Come, Remiel." They turned to go but then Remiel turned to Colette.

"Chosen One, he said. "If you wish to live, you must remove that worthless Key Crest."

"…No, I'm never taking it off." She replied. "Lloyd gave this to me."

"…Foolish sentiments…" he spat before leaving with Pronyma.

"Not bad for a dead guy." Fin remarked.

"Too bad he wasn't really dead to begin with." Sheena mused.

"Man, what an arrogant Son of a Bitch." Zelos remarked. "Talking as if they know everything…"

"While we're on the subject of ways of talking, why don't you do something about the vulgar language?" Sheena asked him. He simply laughed and shook his head.

Anyway everyone, we must go see this Kate person." Raine reminded us.

"Yeah, let's get going." Lloyd urged. After speaking with her we learned the only means of saving Presea rode on finding Altessa, who lived on the other side of the Phantom Forest. With information in hand we made that our next destination.

"Whoa…this place is creepy…" said Lloyd as we entered the forest.

"Wow, it's dark!" Colette exclaimed in amazement.

"Colette, you're awfully cheery…" Zelos said distastefully. That's when a troop of Papal Knights came and surrounded us!

"Whoops…It's the Papal Knights." Zelos said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Zelos, the Chosen." The captain said. "You are in the way of the Pope."

"Heh, I've known that since I was a kid." Zelos replied with a grin.

"Then that makes things simple." The Knight replied. "It is time for you to die."

"Maybe some other time." said Mom as she took out her Book of Summons. "I call upon the Bishop of the White Night. Come, Michael!" An angel descended from above and with a flash of light it blew away all the Papal Knights. "What resides in Darkness must eventually come to Light." Mom said after Michael disappeared.

"We won, but what are we going to do now?" asked Genis.

"What else?" Lloyd mused. "Before they bring in reinforcements…"

"We'll get the hell out of here." Sheena finished. "But to where shall we…?"

"Perhaps Altessa's place?" Colette suggested.

"Exactly!" Lloyd exclaimed.

As we navigated the forest we found a strange looking treasure chest. I probably wouldn't have thought much of it except the chest was open, its contents missing.

"What is this thing?" asked Lloyd as Raine studied it.

"It looks like it was sealed by some type of power." Genis noted. "You shouldn't fiddle with it, Lloyd. I don't like the looks of it."

"It looks like somebody took whatever was inside already to boot." Leon remarked. "That must've been something special if it was sealed like that."

-----

"So this is Celes?" Mithos asked as I was presented to him. "I see the resemblance. How interesting..."

"Where's my daughter?" I asked him. "I was told you wanted to see me regarding her."

"Yes, the child Martel." He mused before turning to his subordinates. "You may leave us now." They bowed deeply before taking leave of us. Mithos then led me down a hall and into what looked like a ballroom. Pictures of himself, his sister, Kratos and Yuan adorned the walls.

The figure at the other end of the room either didn't hear us enter or paid no heed. "Martel, look and see who has come to see you." When she turned around I covered my mouth to suppress a gasp. I'd only had her 2 weeks ago but she looked just like a teenager.

"What the?!" I exclaimed. "How is that possible?"

"I used her exsphere to fix her age." Mithos replied. "This is how she looked when she died. Don't you see, Celes? Now that everything's all better I no longer need Colette as a vessel. You can pretty much tell Lloyd and your brother that what they're doing in Tethe'alla is for naught."

"When my brother finds out he'll want to kill you, Mithos." I replied with a look of disgust. "Unlike you, even Angel fully understands that when someone dies they're not supposed to come back!"

"You poor, poor girl." said Mithos. "You are so learned. I made this world and in MY world, I decide when someone doesn't come back!" With that, he changed into his Yggdrassil form. I took that moment to draw my sword. "Unless you want to die, I suggest you put that thing away." He warned.

"I don't think so." I replied before charging him, sword raised.

"OUTBURST!" he said before I was sent flying with a blast of energy.

"AHH!" I screamed before landing hard on the ground.

"Don't make me kill you, Celes." Yggdrassil said as he floated up high. "But I will if you insist upon it."

"I'll die after I've killed YOU!" I said as I made my wings appear. "Sacred Blade, become my wings—Starlight Symphonia!" I then charged at him and started slashing at him in succession. I was moving so fast he could barely defend himself from the onslaught. I polished it off with a vertical slash that throttled him into the ground.

"How dare you!" he spat as he rose to his feet.

"I, who stand in the full light of the heavens commands thee who opens the Gates of Hell!" I recited. "Come forth Divine Lightning! Descend now! INDIGNATION!" The blast of concentrated energy caused a massive explosion and then everything became white.

---

"That's the guy from the Meltokio sewer!" Genis exclaimed when Regal suddenly appeared before us.

"Man, it's just one thing after another with the Pope!" Zelos mused. "Am I really that much of a problem to him?"

"I do not wish to fight you." said Regal. "I just want to speak with that girl."

"With Presea?" Lloyd asked him.

"You've got to be kidding!" Genis mused. "Or did you forget that you tried to kill us?"

"I cannot speak for any others however I, at least, never intended to take your lives." He explained. "My orders were to retrieve a girl named Colette. I will do you no harm. Presea…is her name, correct? Please let me speak with her." Then he noticed the exsphere on her necklace. "You are yet another victim?!" he exclaimed as he walked over to her. Presea chose then to swing her ax at him.

"Presea's in danger!" Genis exclaimed as Lloyd drew his swords.

"I don't know what the heck is going on, but we have to stop this guy!" he said.

"Sorry but no," Fin said he sudden stood between Regal and everyone else. "You guys use weapons and like Regal, neither do I. I just can't let you guys go crazy on him—it just wouldn't be fair."

"Well, what do you want us to do instead" I asked him.

"Sorry about this." Fin said before hitting Regal in the back of the head. A moment later he was unconscious on the ground. "And no, he's not dead."

"He sounds like he has reasons for his actions." Raine noted. "Perhaps we should take him prisoner. I'm sure he has much to tell us."

"Sheena, there are a lot of soldiers and they're all coming this way!" Corrine said as she ran over to us. "Run away, quickly!"

"The footsteps…keep getting louder." Colette noted.

"Um, shouldn't we get out of here?" Zelos suggested.

"But the Papal Knights are waiting for us if we go back." Kratos noted.

"It looks like we have no choice." Sheena said solemnly. "I'll take you to the village of Mizuho."

"Whoa there Sheena." said Mom "Isn't Mizuho a hidden village, kept secret from outsiders?"

"But we'll be trapped from both sides if we don't do something." She pointed out. "There's nothing we can do but take shelter in the village."

"She's got a point." Angel said with a sigh. "I'd Quick Jump but I haven't been to Ozette before."

"Okay, please show us the way, Sheena." said Lloyd.

"Hey Zelos, carry the big guy for us." Sheena said. When he did, the guy didn't move an inch.

"You want me to carry this ogre by myself?" he asked after several strained attempts. "Are you kidding me?"

"Here, I'll help." Colette offered. "Zelos will have a hard time by himself."

"Aww, you're so nice Colette!" Zelos cheered. "We Chosen have to look out for each other, right?"

"Yeah!" she replied before picking Regal up with one hand. "Oh, he's lighter then I thought. I can carry him myself."

"Haha…I see…" Zelos said sheepishly.

You guys are so useless these days…" Raine mused.

"…" was the reaction of all the guys in our group.

"Come on, we need to go!" Sheena urged.

"Sheena, what is the meaning of this?" The Ninja called Orochi demanded as we came into Mizuho. "How could you bring outsiders into the village?"

"I'm prepared to accept my punishment." She replied. "Inform the Vice-Chief--I've brought the travelers from Sylverant."

"From Sylverant?" he asked as he looked us over. "You are from the dying world of Sylverant?"

"Only Lloyd, Genis, Raine and Colette," I corrected.

"I see…Sheena, you come with me." He said. "The rest of you, wait in front of the Chief's house." Soon after they walked away our new friend woke up.

"Wh…where am I?" he asked.

"You're our prisoner." said Lloyd. "Don't try anything funny."

"I like to think that I'm smart enough not to start trouble when I don't understand the situation." He replied.

"The Vice-Chief is ready to see you." Orochi said as we approached the hut." Sorry, but only twelve of you will fit inside. The rest of you must wait here."

"Mark, why don't you, Katrin and Alex go in?" Ann suggested. "The rest of us will wait here."

"Umm, sure." I replied before following Lloyd inside.

---

About an hour later we met back outside the Chief's Hut to relay information. "What's your name?" Lloyd asked our guest.

"Regal." He replied.

I'm sorry Regal, but we're gonna have to keep you prisoner for a bit longer." He replied.

"Lloyd, How about letting pops here fight, too?" Zelos suggested.

"Even though he might betray us?" Genis asked.

"He has business with Presea, right?" Zelos reminded him. "Then, he's not going to try anything before he gets a chance to speak with her, you know?"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Raine remarked.

"I don't know about this, but I won't make a fuss." said Sheena. "I also started off as your enemy."

"Well? Will you fight alongside us for now?" Lloyd asked Regal.

"I swear upon my good name, and these shackles that bind me, I shall not betray you." Regal replied.

"That's a yes, I take it?" asked Fin.

"If you do anything even the slightest bit suspicious, I'll burn you to a crisp, got it?" Genis warned him.

"Well, then, welcome to our group, Regal!" Lloyd cheered. As we left the village Orochi informed us that the Papal Knights were gone. The way was open!

"I…want to go home to my village." Presea informed us.

"Ah, right…Ozette first, then." Lloyd replied.

"Yes, Presea's parents are probably worried about her." Raine noted.

---

I'm sure you've noticed I'm starting to cut corners here and there. Let's just say I'm just making the story more of my own while cutting out the stuff that would drag this on too much. Next chapter is gonna be lengthy but straightforward, just like this one XD


	15. Chapter 15: Another Trade Off

----

Chapter 15: Another Trade-Off

---

A/N: I'm covering a lot in this chapter but whew—it's one of those parts of the story I like to make long for no apparent reason XD

---

As soon as we entered Ozette, Presea ran for her house. We arrived in time to her talking to Rodyle.

"…Thank you. Hmm? Are these guests as well?" He asked Presea when he noticed us.

"Porters…" was her reply.

"Oh, I see…" Rodyle mused as we drew near.

"Presea, we have to make a Key Crest for you!" Genis exclaimed.

"My job awaits…goodbye…" She said before going in the house.

"Only Presea can retrieve the sacred wood used in the ritual at the church." Rodyle told us. "I'm quite pleased that she has finally returned." With a rather wicked laugh, he took his leave of us.

"That man…he's a half-elf." Raine noted.

"He is?" Lloyd asked in amazement. "Now that you mention it, didn't we see him in Meltokio, too?"

"He's creepy…" Colette remarked.

"I agree but…uh…I have say I feel sorry for the guy." said Zelos. "I mean, he has to deal with the fact that there are magnificent specimens of males around like me, heh heh."

"I'd say you two are on the same level." Genis and Leon said almost in unison.

I heard that, you little twerps!" Zelos shot back.

"At any rate, we should have a talk with Presea." Regal said in a bid to change the subject.

The first thing we noticed when we entered the house was the smell. A peek in the bedroom revealed a badly decayed body and an oblivious Presea going between it and the dresser in the room.

"…Oh my…how horrible." Raine said in horror after she and Katrin took a look at the body.

"What the…this is not cool." Zelos said.

"How could this happen?" Sheena asked as we could only watch Presea.

"Most likely it's the effect of her Exsphere's parasitism." Raine replied. "Presea has no idea what's become of the person in that bed."

"How could that…" Genis trailed.

"Presea, are you not coming with us?" Regal asked her.

"I must…do my job…" She replied.

"Let's leave Presea here for now." Raine suggested.

"Here?!" Lloyd asked in shock.

"If we try to move her, she will just fight back." The Professor replied. "Let's go see Altessa by ourselves to ask him about repairing the Key Crest." With that we exited the house and headed out of the village. On the way out Colette suddenly stumbled and fell.

"Colette, are you all right?" Lloyd asked her.

"Y…yeah, I stumbled." She replied with an embarrassed smile. Heh, I'm clumsy." We walked along the coast to see the half-elf himself. Upon arriving it was decided that Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Raine, Regal and myself would go inside and speak with him while the rest of us waited outside.

"WHO IS IT?" asked the woman who answered the door.

"Ah, excuse us," Lloyd began. "We've heard that there is a dwarf living here. Is there any chance we could see him?"

"YOU DESIRE A MEETING WITH MASTER ALTESA." She replied. "PLEASE COME INSIDE."

"Who are you people?" he asked.

"My name is Mark Anthony." I began. "We've come in regards to Presea. We heard about you from Kate in Sybak."

"Leave!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Lloyd asked.

"I don't want anything more to do with that girl!" He replied. "Get out of here!" As we headed for the door Tabatha came up behind us.

"I APOLOGIZE." She said. "THE MASTER DOES NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH PRESEA."

Why--he doesn't care if she dies?!" Genis asked in disgust.

"IT IS NOT THAT." Tabatha replied. "IT IS BECAUSE THE MASTER REGRETS WHAT HE HAS DONE."

"Then please, save Presea!" Colette begged. "All she needs is for her Key Crest to be fixed."

"I DO NOT KNOW IF THAT WOULD TRULY BE IN HER BEST INTEREST." The woman replied.

"How could anything be worse than living in that cruel condition while waiting to die?" Lloyd asked her.

"IF YOU ARE THAT COMMITTED, THEN YOU SHOULD SEARCH FOR INHIBITOR ORE." She said.

"Presea's Key Crest isn't made out of inhibitor ore?" Lloyd asked.

"CORRECT, HER CREST IS—" Tabatha before Altessa's incessant shouting forced her to stop. "I APOLOGIZE, I MUST RETURN. PLEASE COME BACK AGAIN. I WILL ATTEMPT TO PERSUADE HIM."

"Where can we find the inhibitor ore?" Colette wondered when we were back outside.

"I've heard it's mined in the mountain range that extends between Altamira and the Ymir Forest." Regal said suddenly. "I would like to help if you're going to create a Key Crest for Presea. I can lead you to the mine."

"Just what is your relation to Presea, anyway?" Lloyd asked him.

"There is none." He replied.

"Yet you sure seem concerned about her." Raine noted.

"Well, either way, you haven't done anything suspicious so far." Lloyd pointed out. "You're welcome to come along with us."

"In other words, we could use your help in finding some Ore." said Fin.

"Inhibitor ore is found relatively near the surface of the Exsphere mine." Regal stated. "The mine I know of is across the sea from here, on the southern continent."

"You said Altamira, right?" asked Zelos. "That place is awesome! Let's stop by there on the way!"

"We don't have time to hang out at that gaudy resort!" Sheena refuted.

"The sea…?" Raine asked. "We're going out to sea again?"

"Okay then, let's go!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Yeah, let's hurry!" Colette cheered as we headed back through Ozette. We soon reached a dock from which we could embark and head for the Toize Valley Mine. As promised, Regal led us to the mine without incident.

"This isn't good." He said as we stood before the expanse door.

"What's wrong, Regal?" Lloyd asked.

"The door's guard system is out of control." He replied "Someone must have destroyed it when trying to force their way through."

"Then let's bust it up even more!" Lloyd exclaimed as he unsheathed his swords.

"That's our Lloyd!" Zelos cheered. "That's an easy to understand plan!"

"Yeah, I'm fine with that, too." Sheena added.

"Well, if Lloyd says so, it's fine with me." Colette remarked as she held her Chalkrams

"Are you sure?" Genis asked. "Don't blame me if something goes wrong."

"…Honestly!" Raine finished.

"Move." Fin said suddenly. Everyone stood aside. "Fissure Strike!" With that he slammed his fists into the ground, splitting the ground in two. It also blew the door to pieces.

"Whoa!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"If I really wanted I could've collapsed the entire mine with that attack." Fin noted.

"Then I should be thankful I didn't then, huh?" I anew voice said. Everyone turned in the direction the voice came from. When I saw, I couldn't believe it.

"MOM!?" I exclaimed.

"I'd just about given up hope of being able to break through the defense system by myself." She said. "I was just about to go look for you all."

"What are you doing here?" asked Katrin.

"I seek something sealed inside the mine." She replied. "Once I've found it I'm afraid I will have to leave you once again."

"But why?" asked Angel.

"For starters, it's important." She replied. "That and it's a secret!"

As we infiltrated the mine we blew away rocks with the power of the Sorcerer's Ring. I wondered if Lloyd was having too much fun at times.

"What's this thing?" Lloyd wondered when we found Gnomette in the mine.

"Hey you losers." It said.

"Whoa, it talks!" Genis said in amazement.

"Of course I talk!" it shot back. "You'd better watch your mouth!"

" He's not very civilized…" Lloyd noted.

"I'm on a journey to find and eat some potion." Gnomette explained.

"Are you sure you're talking about potion?" Colette asked it.

"It's something that's only for adults that makes them feel good." It explained.

"It seems he really does mean potion." Raine said.

"Do you losers have any?" it asked.

"Which would you prefer—

Palmacosta, Mizuho or Flanoir?" Mom suddenly asked it. Greedily it took and ate all three, bottle and all.

"Is this it?" It asked. "Is this the potion? You losers did a good job!"

"Whoa, he even ate the bottle!" Leon exclaimed.

"It doesn't taste like anything." Gnomette remarked. "Is this what I've been traveling for all this time? This is lame!"

"…" was everyone's response.

"I'm going home." It said before leaving.

"What the hell was that all about?" I wondered aloud. As we advanced deeper into the mine we found a boulder trap reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies.

"There's a switch on the wall ahead." Regal explained after we evaded the boulder. "If you press it, the boulders should stop coming out." After hitting the switch we saw yet another obstacle barring our advance—Bacura.

"What's that spinning thing?" asked Lloyd.

"That's a Naploosa Bacura." Regal replied.

"Y…you can't mean the great Professor Naploosa's—" Raine asked.

"Yes, it's a device made of concentrated mana in physical form." He replied. "Normal attacks cannot harm it."

"Then we can't get past!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"If we could strike it with a powerful impact…" Regal hinted.

"I'll take care of this." said Mom. We watched as the lured the Bacura our way. On the way over she re-activated the boulder trap.

"What are you doing?" asked Fin.

"I think I get it!" said Kyle. Sure enough, another boulder came rolling and it smashed the Bacura to pieces on the floor at the bottom of the cliff. That's when mom jumped after it! After deactivating the boulder trap again we went down an elevator shaft to see what was going on.

"It's in pieces now." Lloyd said, noting the obvious.

"Oh, my precious sample…" Raine said as she picked up several fragments.

"Where did Terra go?" asked Alex.

"Looks like whatever she was after had something to do with the Bacura." Katrin remarked. "She DID say she'd leave once she found it."

"This is where the Evil Eye is found…" I said to myself. "I wonder why she took it?"

"In any case, what we seek is further in the mines." said Fin. After crossing a bridge and blowing up some boxes we finally found some Inhibitor Ore.

"We did it, Lloyd!" Colette cheered. "Now we can save Presea."

"All I need to do now is prepare this." Lloyd said as he held the Ore.

"How long will it take?" asked Regal.

"To be honest, only a dwarf could do it right." Lloyd replied. "But if I carve the charm directly into this, I think it'll serve in place of a Key Crest. If that's all right, I can make it right away. Wait just a little bit." After an hour he was done. "I think this will do." He said. "Later, once Presea has returned to her normal self, let's have Dirk or Altessa make a real one."

"I understand." said Regal. "Then let's return. It is unbearable to leave Presea in that house steeped with the stench of death." On our way out the mines we encountered Vharley the Exsphere Broker. From him we learned a bit more about Regal's past.

"What was that all about?" asked Kyle.

"I am a prisoner serving time for the crime of murder." He replied. "I won't blame you if you look down on me."

"What happened?" asked Lloyd.

"Explaining would be an excuse." Regal replied. "I committed a crime. That's all that needs to be said."

"My stupid actions have killed many people." said Lloyd. I don't know if that's what you did, and your crime won't go away. When you're suffering, it's all right at least say so."

"Perhaps someday I will have the opportunity to tell the story." He said. "I apologize."

---

"That's them, the wanted criminals!" We heard a villager say when we entered Ozette.

"Ah crap, not the Papal Knights again!" Zelos spat.

"Why do they always show up where we're going?" Sheena asked in disgust.

"Well, well, if it isn't Master Zelos." said the Captain. "I trust you are well." With that, they surrounded us. "Remember, capture Colette alive!" They were about to pounce when bolt of white lightning descended from the sky and killed them all.

"What the?!" I exclaimed in surprise. We looked up to see Celes, Hannah and Aurina descending upon the village.

"Talk out arriving in the nick of time." Damien mused. "What the hell took you so long?"

"Sorry but we were a bit sidetracked—a bunch of Angels that needed to die, that sort of thing." Celes replied with a grin.

"What are you doing here?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"I told you we'd rejoin you later on, didn't we?" asked Hannah. "Aurina's just a bonus. In time, Ted and Abyssion will be joining our group as well. Everyone just stared at her in shock.

"Come again?" I asked. "I'm not sure I heard that right."

"Yes, Ted and Abyssion will be joining us sometime down the road." Hannah repeated. "That is all they would let me disclose to you." Suddenly, Colette collapse in a lot of pain. It was so sudden everyone just stopped and looked at her.

"She's running a fever." said Raine. "But what could be causing this much pain?"

"Move…please leave this…to me…" Presea said as she appeared. When she stood before Colette she swung her axe, which we evaded. At that point we heard the voice of Rodyle.

"Good work, Presea." He said. We looked up to see three dragons with Rodyle astride the middle one. Sheena summoned Corrine and Corrine tackled Presea, knocking her out. That gave Rodyle enough time to seize Celes, Aurina and Colette. "I am Rodyle, the most cunning of the Desian Grand Cardinals!" he announced. "I hope you don't mind me taking the Chosen One!"

"Why are the Desians in Tethe'alla?!" asked Lloyd. With that the three dragons flew away.

"COLETTE!" Lloyd exclaimed in horror.

"As long as Aurina and Celes are with her, she'll be ok." I said to him.

"Lloyd, will you help Presea?" Regal asked.

"I've carved the charm." He said as he took it out of his pocket. "With this, she should return to her real self." It worked almost instantly.

"Presea, are you okay?" asked Genis.

"What? What am I doing?" she asked in surprise. "Where's my daddy?" We took her to her home where she saw her father's remains. "I…what have I been doing? AH!!!"

"Have you calmed down a little?" asked Raine after we helped her bury the body.

"I've…been a great burden on you all." She said.

"You remember?" asked Lloyd.

"Yes…mostly…" she trailed.

"Why did you have an Exsphere like that on you?" Lloyd asked her.

"I received it from a person named Vharley." She replied.

"I knew it…Vharley!" Regal said with disgust.

"I wanted to save my sick daddy." She explained. "I wanted to learn how to wield an ax, so I could work in my daddy's place. So Vharley introduced me to Rodyle, and I was taken to the Research Academy in Sybak."

"The experiments on you were carried out by order of the Pope, right?" Zelos asked her.

"Which means that Desian is in league with the Pope!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Presea, do you have an older sister?" Regal asked her.

"No." she replied.

"Do you have any other family? He asked.

"I have a younger sister." She replied. "She left to go into service for a noble and that was the last I saw of her."

"WHEN you were a child?" Zelos asked with a laugh. "Heh, you're still a child now."

"Oh…yes, of course." Presea said, regarding her body. "That's right."

"At any rate, we can't just leave you here in this village by yourself if you have no one to turn to." said Sheena.

"Yes, the people of this village seem to avoid her." Raine noted.

"I…uh…I'd like to go with all of you if that would be all right." said Presea. "It's my fault that Colette was taken away. So please, let me help in her rescue."

"Please allow me to come along as well." said Regal. "It seems that my fate is linked to your enemy."

"Do you even have to ask?" I asked them. "Of course you're both coming!"

"Thank you, I'm in your debt." He replied. "I shall not betray your trust."

"Now let's hurry and find the girls." said Hannah.

"All right, they headed east." said Fin.

"So you've lost the Chosen." We heard a new voice say. That's when Yuan emerged from the woods.

"What's going on with Rodyle?" Kratos asked him

"Rodyle is ignoring our orders and acting on his own." Yuan replied. "If he knew what I would he'd know that what he is doing is a waste of time."

"What do you mean?" asked Lloyd.

"The Chosen is useless as she is now." Kratos explained. "He will soon see."

"You got to be kidding me!" Lloyd exclaimed. "We're going to rescue Colette no matter what!"

"Then I suggest you grab the Reihards and head for the eastern skies." said Yuan. "They've been repaired and await you at our Tethe'allan Base."

"Maybe so, but I think we should go to Mizuho first." said Hannah suddenly.

"Why?" asked Genis.

"Don't you remember what happened when you first arrived in Tethe'alla?" asked Fin.

"Point taken." said Raine.

"Once you've made the appropriate preparations, I'll wait you at the base." said Yuan before leaving.

---

"Oh, good timing." Tiga said as we entered the village.

"What is it?" asked Lloyd.

"We've located the Reihards." He replied.

"We already knew where they were, though." I pointed out.

"Sheena, before you recover the Reihards, I must give you a test." the Vice Chief said.

"A test, Vice-Chief?" she asked.

"Even if we recover the Reihards, if Volt's mana runs out, they will crash again." He explained. "Thus before recovering the Reihards, you are going to form a pact with Volt." The Ninja's face turned white. "I know it's hard, but it is a test you must overcome."

"I…I can't!" she said before running away.

"Sheena failed to form a pact with Volt once before." Tiga told us. "That is the reason why the Chief is in a coma."

"Lloyd, go talk to her." said Hannah. "We need her to make that pact with Volt."

"Couldn't Ann do it?" asked Zelos.

"No." she replied. "I mean I could, but this is something Sheena must do to overcome the trauma of her past."

---

"We got in really easy." Lloyd said as we entered the Lightning Temple the next day. "I don't see an oracle stone anywhere…"

"This is the flourishing world." Raine reminded him. "It probably isn't functioning as a seal right now."

"Hey, Sheena, you've been here before, right?" asked Lloyd. "What did you do that time?"

"I…I don't really know anything about the traps in the temple." She replied. "The others from Mizuho cleared them for me."

"Then, I guess we'll have to figure it out ourselves." said Kyle.

"Lloyd, lightning strikes higher ground." said Raine.

"Higher ground?" he repeated. After venturing deeper into the temple we found Volt's seal but three blocks stood in the way.

"Looks like we need to break those." Fin remarked.

"Wait a second." Angel said suddenly. "Genis, what colored Lightning do you use?"

"Blue, why?" he asked.

"Mine's Yellow." said Kyle.

"Mine is Red." said Angel. "On three, we'll break the block that matches the color of lightning we use."

"THREE!" they all said at once before destroying the blocks. The Lightning Rod activated and then Volt appeared before us.

"You three just saved us six hours of wandering this temple." I remarked.

"Here I go!" Sheena said as she approached Volt.

"…" was all we heard, for it spoke in another language.

"It's just like before!" Sheena exclaimed. "What the hell is he saying?"

"Sheena, calm down." said Raine. "I'll translate: 'I am one who is bound to Mithos. Who are you?'"

"Mithos again?" asked Lloyd. "How could he make pacts with Summon Spirits in both Tethe'alla and Sylverant?"

"I am Sheena!" The Ninja began. "I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me."

"He says that his pact with Mithos is broken but he no longer desires a pact." Raine translated.

"Why?" Sheena asked.

"I will have no more dealings with people, therefore I desire no pact." Raine translated.

"No, we need your help!" Sheena said as she drew her cards.

"Sheena, Be careful!" Lloyd warned. That's when Volt cast Indignation Judgement, knocking us all to the floor below.

"Everyone, watch out!" Sheena exclaimed. "This is just like before!" That's when Corrine sacrificed himself to protect Sheena from a blast of electricity. Grief Stricken and extremely pissed: "For the sake of everyone that risked their lives to protect me, Volt!

I demand your power!" She struck him down with a few well-placed blows, finally subduing him.

"Make your vow." Raine translated.

"Just like I said, for the sake of everyone that risked their lives to protect me, and for Corrine's sake as well, I want to save both worlds…" said Sheena as Corrine's spirit appeared above us.

"The vow has been made." Raine translated. "I entrust my power to the pact-maker, Sheena!" Sheena then received the pact ring Sardonyx for her efforts.

"It's over…" Ann said. Suddenly, Undine and Volt both appeared before us.

"A link between the two worlds has been severed." Undine announced.

"The two opposing forces of mana were…severed just now." Raine said, translating Volt's Language.

"What does it mean for the mana flow to be severed?" asked Regal.

"Mana flows from the world in which the Summon Spirits sleep to the world in which the Summon Spirits are awake." Undine explained. "This is the first time the Summon Spirits have been awakened in both worlds at the same time. Because of this, the mana connecting the two worlds has been eliminated."

"Does that mean that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla have stopped competing for each other's mana?"

Raine's translation: "I do not know. The only thing certain is that the flow of mana between the worlds has been severed."

"Eventually the worlds shall separate…" Undine added.

"You mean the two worlds will split apart?" Genis asked.

"That's perfect!" Zelos exclaimed. "Then they'll stop competing for each other's mana!"

"There are five seals in Sylverant." said Raine. "And since there wasn't a Summon Spirit at the fifth seal, we should be able to sever all of the mana if we awaken the Summon Spirits that correspond to the other four seals…maybe."

"So if we awaken Tethe'alla's Summon Spirits, we'll save Sylverant without having Tethe'alla go into decline, right?" asked Lloyd.

"At the least, the mana connecting the worlds will disappear and the two worlds will separate." said Undine before she and Volt disappeared.

"I see." said Regal. "So the seals serve as a link between the two worlds."

"We owe it all to you, Sheena…and Corrine as well." said Presea. "Because the two of you risked your lives to form the pact with Volt, we now know what the seals do." Outside the temple we were met by Orochi, who led us to the Tethe'alla Base.

"This way!" he said as we approached the huge doors.

"Hey, aren't those two Renegades?" asked Lloyd when we saw two guys standing nearby.

"There's just two of our people who've infiltrated the Renegades." Orochi replied. "It's the easiest way to investigate the declining world of Sylverant."

"I'm the guard on duty at the moment." One of them said. "Please go in through the entrance now."

"Hey, Zelos is gone." Hannah noted once we were all inside the base.

"You're right." Presea remarked. "I wonder what happened to him." At that moment the Tethe'allan Chosen reappeared.

"Ah, hey, sorry to keep you waiting, my cute hunnies." He said. "Were you lonely?"

"What were you doing?" Regal probed. "Everyone was worried about you."

"I was just taking a quick look around the area." He replied. 'We wouldn't want to walk into a trap, now, would we? Well, now it's time to start the adventure of the Great Zelos and his cute hunnies!"

"We can take it from here." said Hannah. "I'll show them the way."

"Good luck, then." Orochi said before leaving. Hannah led us through the base to the Reihard Hangar. We were about to take them when Yuan and Botta appeared behind us.

"Wait." said Yuan.

"What is it?" asked Lloyd.

"Take this." He said as he handed Hannah a remote. "It will reveal Colette's location on your map."

"How did you…!" Genis exclaimed.

"That's where Zelos went off to." Ann mused. "He explained what happened to Yuan, I take it."

"Guess the secret's out." Zelos said with a nervous grin.

"We already knew that, though." I said with a laugh. "I was trying to decide when to tell the others you were going to betray their trust. Luckily for you, I waited."

"Oh, really?" Sheena asked me as she glared at Zelos.

"There's more, but since we sort of need him around I won't say more than that." I said.

"And to think we thought Kratos was the traitor…" Genis mused.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" asked Botta sternly. "If anything, Kratos and Yuan are—" he was suddenly cut off by an earthquake.

"What's this shaking?" Yuan asked.

"I think now would be a good time to depart before the base looses power." said Hannah as the Reihards were launched. "Oh, and Yuan—tell Terra there's been a change of plan. As soon as she's found everything she is to meet Ted, Abyssion, the OTHER Abyssion and myself in the Shadow Temple."

"Understood, I'll see that she is informed." Yuan replied as we flew into the skies.

----

End Chapter 15. I can't believe myself that I did this in ONE sitting! It was ALSO 15 pages. The Abyssion Special Battle is coming up but it's not for another five Chapters and it WON'T be in the Shadow Temple, oh no…


	16. Chapter 16: Gnome and Celsius

---

Chapter 16: Gnome and Celsius

---

A/N: Nothing special aside from the linear stuff. Oh—someone DOES rejoin the group in Flanoir, though. I'll give you a clue: She's the group's only Bow User!

---

"We finally found them!" Damien said as we approached the Dragon's Nest where Colette, Celes and Aurina were being held. All of them were trapped in a barrier and we bailed from the Reihards and made landing on the floating nest.

"No Lloyd, stay away!" Colette said as we ran to them.

"It's a trap!" Celes exclaimed. Lloyd was about to question them when Rodyle suddenly appeared before us and Presea went postal.

"You will pay for using me!" She hissed as she readied her axe. "Let them all go!" When she swung it at him, he disappeared.

"An illusion…?" Raine wondered aloud as Rodyle reappeared.

"You all can have those worthless Chosen!" He hissed. "Now I understand why Lord Yggdrassil left them alone."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Katrin, Damien and Fin asked, all three fuming mad.

"Sinful Chosen like them are completely useless for my Mana Cannon." He explained. "They can't even save the world and Colette can't merge with Martel. They even put their friends in danger. What a bunch of pathetic Chosen indeed!"

"Stop blaming them for things they did not do!" Presea shot back.

"Indeed." Regal added. "It is enough that I alone bear the weight of sin. You and I are the epitome of sin! I'll drag you down to hell with me!"

"Take me to hell?" Rodyle cracked. "You inferior beings and your silly jokes…!"

"Everyone please run!" Colette warned.

"Now, my darling pets!" Rodyle called to his dragons. "Feed on the flesh of these wretched inferior beings!" A dozen or so dragons then descended upon the platform.

"Don't try to fight them!" Colette warned.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Celes asked her. "Angel and Leon could take them down by themselves!"

"Winged dragon, a subspecies of dragon," Presea recited. "Carnivorous, excels at the pursuit and capture of prey. The probability of successful evasion on this small platform is one percent."

"Give me a break!" Zelos exclaimed "I'll pass on dying, thanks!"

"All we have to do is defeat them before they can kill us!" Lloyd exclaimed as we all drew our weapons.

"I have no intention of becoming a part of the food chain without a fight." Regal added before they descended upon us.

"Let's try that one thing!" Angel suggested.

"You don't mean…?" asked Genis.

"Alright!" Leon exclaimed.

"What?" asked Alex.

"Stand back and watch!" all three of then said in unison as the skies suddenly darkened. "Blizzard Indignation Meteor Storm!" Everyone watched as Bolts of Ice and Lightning descended upon the Winged Dragons, taking most of them down in one go. Following that was a rain of Meteors which finished off the rest.

"Whoa…" Zelos trailed.

"We've been working on that for some time." Leon beamed as everyone admired their handiwork. When we returned our attention to the girls, an intense orange light emanated from the barrier that held them.

"What is this ominous light that threatens to engulf us?" asked Regal.

"Arrgh…I can't move!" Sheena groaned.

"It's Colette!" Genis exclaimed. "The mana from Colette's body is flowing out towards us!"

"It's caused by that magic circle beneath them!" Raine noted.

"All of you get out of there!" I exclaimed.

"I can't…I'm chained to it." Colette replied. "I…I can't move. I'm sorry. I'm just a Chosen who couldn't even save her friends, much less the world. Maybe I'm just like Rodyle said, 'a pathetic Chosen'…"

"No Colette, don't delude yourself." said Presea. "You haven't done anything wrong. What's wrong is this system that demands the sacrifice of the Chosen!" With that she struck the barrier, breaking it.

"Presea…thank you…" Colette said once they were free.

"Whoa, what's up with the ground?!" Zelos exclaimed as the platform began to move.

"I'd say it's time for us to get out of here!" said Hannah as she began to summon. "Come, Saphira!" Everyone got on the dragon and flew away just before the Dragon's Nest collapsed into the sea.

"Is everybody okay?" asked Lloyd once we were a safe distance away.

"It looks like everyone's all right." Katrin reported after checking for injuries.

"But for what purpose did that Rodyle character kidnap Colette, Celes and Aurina?" Regal wondered aloud.

"He said he needed a Cruxis Crystal in order to control the Mana Cannon." Aurina replied. "But apparently, all of ours didn't work."

"Pietro, the man we saved in Hima, also spoke of this Mana Cannon." Raine noted.

"Colette…are you okay?" Presea asked.

"Yes, thanks to you." She replied with a smile, which Presea returned.

"She resembles her, just as I thought." Regal said with a rather content look on her face.

Now that my cute little Presea smiled, it's a good time to start thinking about the next step." Said Zelos.

"What else--We're going to separate the two worlds!" Zelos exclaimed.

"So we're going form pacts with the Summon Spirits of both worlds." Kratos noted thoughtfully. "I see…"

"This is where I come in, right?" asked Sheena. "How about we start with the Summon Spirit, Gnome? He should be near here."

"All right, that sounds good." Lloyd replied. "Professor? Is that okay with you?"

"What?" she asked, her mind clearly somewhere else. "Um, y…yes sure. That's fine."

"Professor, is something wrong?" Lloyd asked with a look of concern.

"It's nothing," She replied dismissively. "Anyway, let's get going."

---

"We're not going to be able to get past this…" Mark Anthony said the next day as we traversed the Earth Temple.

"It looks like we'll have to find another way around." Raine suggested. In the next area we encountered another Gnomette but this one wanted Something Spicy to eat.

"Maybe like curry?" Genis suggested.

"No, I think I can put something together that's even HOTTER than that." Mom said with a grin.

"Huh?" asked Zelos.

"How would you like to try my Fire Emblem Chili?" she asked it.

"That's good!" It piped up. "Feed me that!"

"Then, let's take a break here." Raine suggested.

"Mind if I help you?" asked Regal.

"Sure." She replied.

"All right." He said as he opened his pack. "Then I must get my kitchen knife."

"You have your own kitchen knife?" Genis asked in surprise.

"It is a tool filled with the soul of those who cook." He replied. "I have one at all times and like anything else, if you treat them carefully, it will respond likewise."

"Ah, yeah." Genis said thoughtfully. "I guess you're right."

"That's unusual, coming from you." Zelos noted. "You rarely speak that much."

"Oh! Spicy! Spicy!" The Gnomette cheered after eating the food Mom and Regal prepared.

"He probably doesn't understand what spicy is." Mark Anthony said with a look of amusement.

"I wanted to ask his opinion for future improvement, but I suppose it's useless." Mom noted. "Still, I was very impressed with Regal's skill with Culinary Arts."

"You know, Regal acts a little different when it comes to cooking." Genis said thoughtfully.

"That shows how passionate he is about it." Lloyd admonished. "I think that's a good thing. Hey, is it all right if I have some, too?"

"Only Dad, Katrin, Mark Anthony and me can eat that Chili and ask for seconds." I warned. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" he said before putting a spoonful into his mouth. After the first bite his face turned red. Moments later he was running around screaming for water.

"Spread!" Genis said before drenching Lloyd with some water.

"Wha--what's IN that?!" he exclaimed. "I couldn't breathe!"

"Just the hottest edible ingredients known to man." Ann replied. "Cilantro, Cyanine, Jalapeño, Chili Peppers and Red Peppers—all in the same dish. Only a handful of people who couldn't tolerate the hotness of my chili have lived to tell about it. You should consider yourself lucky."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Genis with a look of surprise.

"Combined, all five of those ingredients are considered lethal." I explained. "First, the subject's airways close up and then the victim suffers cardiac arrest, seizure and a stroke at the same time. Then, the victim dies."

"Then how the hell can you eat that stuff?!" Sheena exclaimed.

"As Mom said, some people can take the heat and some people can't." Katrin replied with a grin. The way cleared, we went on our way. Near our final destination we encountered the Gnomette from the Toize Valley Mine who allowed us the use of a secret passage. After collapsing a bridge further in we finally came to the place where Gnome was.

"So this is Gnome!" Lloyd marveled as the Summon Spirit of Earth stood before us.

"Since Volt was Undine's opposite, Gnome's is…" Genis trailed.

"Efreet!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Since we woke up Efreet, that'll sever their mana flow, right?"

"No, it's Sylph!" Raine shot back. "Honestly Lloyd, how many times do I have to tell you before you actually remember it?"

"I see that the level of education in Sylverant matches the status of the world." Regal remarked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that!" Lloyd cheered.

"…" was the reply from everyone else.

"Lloyd that was not a compliment." Presea told him.

"All right, here we go!" Sheena said before approaching Gnome.

"Hmm…so, you're a summoner, huh?" Gnome said as he looked at Sheena, "Well look, sorry, but I've already got a pact with Mithos, 'k?"

"There's Mithos' name again." Colette noted. "He must have been amazing!"

"I am Sheena Fujibayashi!" she recited. "I seek a pact with Gnome. I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me!"

"Man, you sure use some stuffy language." Gnome said with a frown.

"Uh, well…I mean, this is how I was taught to do it." Sheena replied, visibly startled.

"Oh yeah well, whatever." Gnome replied. "All right, show me what you've got. Bring it on!" Sheena, Genis, Kratos and Zelos stepped forward.

"Gentle winds, gather before me and transform into blades of air!" Genis recited. "CYCLONE!" The twister caught Gnome off-Guard, preventing him from attacking them.

"I call upon the Heavenly Messengers!" Sheena said as she began to summon. "Come, Sylph!" The trio descended and attacked Gnome from three directions.

"Ready—Cross Thrust!" Zelos and Kratos said in Unison, finishing the job.

"You guys fight dirty, you know that?" Gnome said after yielding defeat. "I mean, what's up with that four-on-one garbage?! Mithos…well, he did it by himself!"

"…" was our reaction.

'Oh yeah, well whatever." Gnome ranted. "Make your vow already!"

"This guy is hard to deal with…" Sheena hissed in disgust at Gnome's attitude. "For the sake of creating a place in which the two worlds no longer must sacrifice one another, gimme your power!"

"Hmm…well, all right." Gnome said without another thought. "I'll go ahead and lend my power to you guys." That's when Fairess, Yutis and Sephie re-appeared. Whoa, Sylph! It's been like, what, uh, four thousand years? How's it going? Looking good!"

"It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Sephie noted. "It seems that the mana flow between us has been severed."

"Yep, there's gonna be an earthquake here in a bit." Gnome remarked. "After all, we just basically ripped out the mana link. Hello!"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Yutis added in similar fashion.

"Take care, everyone!" said Fairess. "See you all later!"

"Okay, later!" Gnome said before the all disappeared and Sheena received the Ruby Pact Ring.

"All right, just like we planned!" Lloyd cheered.

"But you know, I've been thinking." said Zelos. "If the worlds are separated from each other, we're not gonna be able to tie each other again, are we?"

"Why not?" asked Lloyd. "We can just go back and forth with the Reihards."

"Right now, we can move in between the worlds because they're connected by the flow of mana." Raine explained. "But if the worlds are split apart, we don't know what will happen."

"So the instant the flow of mana is severed, the two worlds may part ways forever." Regal remarked.

"Will that mean that when we form the pact with the final Summon Spirit, we'll all have to say goodbye?" asked Colette.

"We don't know if that's really the case, so there's no point in worrying about it right now." said Mark Anthony.

"Where shall we go next?" asked Presea.

"I've heard that the Summon Spirit Celsius resides near Flanoir." said Regal.

"Speaking of which, I have someone waiting for us there." Said Hannah.

"Who?" asked Fin.

"You'll see." She replied with a grin.

"Okay then, let's go have a look." Said Lloyd. After exiting the Earth Temple, the ground shook again.

"It's an earthquake!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"It's just like Gnome said." Sheena remarked.

"It's the proof that the flow of mana has been severed." Said Kratos. "The earthquake at the Renegade Base may have been caused by it as well."

"Splitting apart worlds is no minor task." Said Regal. "One can expect the land to react to these unforeseen events with at least an earthquake or two."

---

When we entered Flanoir we saw two people standing in front of a building across from the Inn. As we approached I immediately recognized the guy as Abyssion, the game's optional boss—before he succumbs to the Dark Side, anyways. The other…was my mother!

"What in the world are you doing way out here?" asked Alex.

"I was on a mission that took me all over both Sylverant and Tethe'alla." She replied. "It took me awhile but I finally collected all twelve of them."

"Twelve?" asked Celes. "I thought there were nine?"

"I thought so, too but remember—our being here has already changed a lot of things." She replied. "The three new Devil's Arms are Death Penalty, Naglfar and Flux." She displayed them for all of us to see.

"What exactly are those for?" asked Raine with a very nervous look on her face.

"I will need them to remove a curse that has plagued my family." Abyssion replied. "She has gone well out of her way to find them all for me. Alas, being in their presence alone is very taxing for me. Once you have taken care of your business here, I will await you in the Shadow Temple."

"Where's that?" asked Lloyd.

"South of Meltokio." Zelos replied. "The Summon Spirit Shadow is said to reside there."

"Maybe so, but our next destination is the Ice Temple." Said Leon. "And I don't think I need to remind everyone what my specialty is."

---

After doing a series of side quests and tasks you already know about we finally arrived at the seal where we would meet Celsius. Every moment inside the Ice Temple was making Leon more and more excited. "I can feel my power getting stronger!" he said cheerfully. "I love this place!"

"Humans can't live in this kind of environment, you know." Kyle reminded him.

"You who posses the right of the pact." We heard a voice suddenly say. "I am Celsius, one who is bound to Mithos the hero."

"I seek a pact with Celsius." Sheena replied. "I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me."

"You seek a pact with me?" Celsius asked. "How amusing. Let's see if you can handle me." When Celsius and her pet Fenrir appeared, everyone stood aside to make room from Leon.

"HEY!" he exclaimed.

"Well, you did say this was your specialty." Angel reminded him.

"Yeah, but I can't fight them alone!"

"Jeez, do I have to do everything?" Katrin asked as she took out her Flame Lance. "Fire Storm!" A stream of fire flew from it and took out Fenrir with ease. "There, that just leaves Celsius."

"…" was his reply.

"Fine!" Katrin said before flooring Celsius with a swing of her lance. "At least my dad had the guts to take on Efreet by himself."

"It would appear that my freezing chill is but a summer's breeze to you." Celsius said after recovering. "Now, speak your vow. A vow worthy of my power!"

"For the sake of creating a place in which the two worlds no longer must sacrifice one another, I ask that thou grant me thy power!" said Sheena.

"Understood." She replied. "Use my power well." Right then, The Red Giant appeared in the room.

"Celsius…it has been a long time." He said.

"I never thought I'd have to see your face again." Celsius said disdainfully.

"While we may be opposing forces, must you avoid me so earnestly?" Efreet asked her.

"What choice do we have?" she shot back. "We are harmful to one another."

"Then perhaps we should be joyous that our mana has been severed." Efreet suggested.

"Who knows?" she replied. "What is clear though, is that this situation will affect the entire world."

"Indeed." Efreet remarked.

"All we can do now is trust in the pact-maker." Celsius suggested.

"Yes, we leave everything in your hands." Efreet said before they both disappeared and Sheena received the Sapphire Pact Ring.

"Just one more to go…" Lloyd noted.

"Two if you count the Summon Spirit we missed in Sylverant." Fin noted.

"Do you really think Sylverant and Tethe'alla will be cut off from each other forever?" asked Genis.

"We're gonna do this regardless, right?" Zelos wondered.

"Yeah." Lloyd confirmed.

"But if the Reihards stop working after we form the last pact, we're going to be stuck in one world or the other." Genis noted.

"The people of Mizuho wish to move to Sylverant." Said Sheena. "There has to be something we can do."

"I suggest we do some investigation on the effects of separating the worlds before we form the pact with the final Summon Spirit." Said Raine. Righter after that, we felt another earthquake.

"It seems as though the shaking has increased in magnitude." Regal noted.

"The time between the severing of the mana flow and the resulting earthquake has decreased as well." Presea added.

"I guess the worlds are struggling to split apart." Said Lloyd as we exited the temple. We came out just in time to see a bolt of white lightning strike the Ozette, far to the south.

"What's going on?!" Zelos demanded.

"That's…the direction of Ozette…" Presea trailed, clearly horrified.

"What could it be?" Genis wondered. "There's a staggering amount of mana flowing from that lightning…"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Said Aurina.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Celes trailed.

"Let's go!" Lloyd urged.

---

Now for those who chose not to pay attention, go back and read the last three chapters along with Chapter 10 again. The reason? Something I mentioned in all of them come to a head next chapter.


	17. Chapter 17: Mithos and Martel

---

Chapter 17: Mithos and Martel

---

A/N: I do believe the Chapter Title speaks for itself. This here chapter is where I REALLY make this Fanfic my own in a way only I know how.

---

"No way…" Colette said as we watched the village burning.

"This is…horrible." Presea gasped.

"What happened here?!" Lloyd demanded.

"Lloyd, look!" Genis exclaimed. We looked and spotted two unconscious figures across the way.

"Look out!!" Katrin warned as burning logs fell around us. Lloyd and I barely managed to make their way over to the pair unscathed.

"What's wrong, are you okay?" Lloyd asked one of them.

"We have to get out of here!" Fin said as he and Damien came over. They each picked up one of the strangers and took them to Presea's house, which was saved from the fate of the rest of the village. Upon closer inspection we realized they were a boy and a girl.

"What the hell happened here?" Mark Anthony asked them when they came to.

"I don't really know." The boy replied. "Suddenly, lightning fell from the sky and angels attacked the village."

"Angels?" Raine repeated.

"They had wings." The girl said. "Those with wings are angels…right?"

"It must have been the Cruxis!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Cruxis…so angels destroyed the village…" Presea trailed with a look of sadness.

"Presea, are you okay?" Regal asked her.

"I'm fine." She replied. "But…this unsettling irritation…is this…anger?"

"I'm impressed you survived." Zelos said, returning our attention to the children. "Are you the only survivors? What's your names?"

"My name is Mithos." The boy said. "My sister, Martel and I lived by ourselves on the outskirts of the village so…"

"You have the same name as Mithos, the hero!" Lloyd exclaimed in amazement.

"And she has the same name as…" Kratos trailed as a long lost memory seemed to return to him.

"Wait, are you half-elves?" Genis asked.

"I…I…no." Martel replied as they both took a step back.

"Relax." said Raine. "You can tell, can't you? We have the same blood flowing through our veins as you do." They looked at her in surprise.

"You're half-elves, too?!" Mithos asked in shock. "But you're with humans!"

"It's okay, we're all friends." Colette replied.

"Humans and half-elves as friends?" Mithos asked. "You're lying!"

"No, it's true." Genis replied. "My sister and I are part of this group."

"Y…yeah, but…" Martel started.

"Your reactions are understandable." Said Regal. "I've heard that the village of Ozette is particularly known for its contempt for half-elves. If you lived isolated lives in this village, you must have suffered." Just then, Tabatha and Altessa appeared just outside the house and we went out to greet him.

"What happened here?" He asked us.

"You're Altessa, right?" Lloyd asked. "What are you doing here?" I glanced over in time to see a look of surprise on the face of Mithos. It was as if they'd met before.

"I saw the lightning of judgment fall towards this village." He explained. "But what in the world…"

"It was the work of Cruxis angels…" said Presea.

"You've regained your true self?!" the Dwarf exclaimed in amazement. "How could they do this? Is this their punishment for failing the experiment?"

"What do you mean punishment?" Sheena asked him.

"Nothing, it's nothing!" the Dwarf replied before running off.

"Wait!" Lloyd exclaimed before going after him. Tabatha suddenly stepped forward to stop him.

"THE MASTER BELIEVES THAT IT IS HIS FAULT THAT OZETTE WAS DESTROYED." She said.

"Altessa is connected to Ozette?" Colette asked in surprise.

"YES." The woman confirmed. "EXCUSE ME. I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE MASTER." With that, she turned and chased after him.

"I'm…going to follow him." Presea stated.

"Me too." Said Lloyd before turning to Mithos and Martel. Mithos and Martel, you should come with us."

"But we're half-elves and…" Martel started.

"That doesn't matter." Mark Anthony cut in. "Besides, what are you going to do if you stay here and the angels come back?"

"Mark's right!" Genis piped up. "Let's all go together!" With that, Genis shook hands with Mithos while Angel shook hands with Martel. We then went over to Altessa's place to get the Dwarf's story.

"I was a craftsman who worked for Cruxis." He said as we gathered around.

"So you're on the side of the angels…of Yggdrassil!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"You know Lord Yggdrassil?!" Altessa exclaimed.

"Know him?!" Mark Anthony retorted. "Because of him, Sylverant and Tethe'alla were twisted into worlds that fight for each other's mana!"

"Those are Cruxis Crystals…" Altessa remarked as he noticed Colette, Celes and Aurina. "I see. You must be the Chosen of the declining world and the other world, too. This may be fate. What happened to Ozette was my fault."

"What…do you mean?" Presea asked him.

"I came to hate the work I did for it was indirectly taking people's lives." He explained. "I ran from Cruxis and hid myself in Ozette, but I was found by a Desian named Rodyle. He ordered me to create a Cruxis Crystal in exchange for my life."

"So that means that the research on Presea was organized by Rodyle and the Pope, who then had you and Kate carry it out?" asked Zelos.

"Rodyle, while a Desian in service of Cruxis, was also planning to revolt against Cruxis." The Dwarf explained. "Because I supported him it that…Lord Yggdrassil grew angry and he…he destroyed the town of Ozette, which had protected me!"

"So this is how Presea…this girl who reflects my distant memories…" Regal trailed. "This is how she was caught up in this. This is terrible beyond words."

"I'm sorry." Altessa said to Presea. "I can never apologize enough, but…apologizing is all I can do now."

"My time…will not come back." She stated. "The people of the village and Daddy will not come back."

"Presea…" Genis trailed with a look of surprise. When he tried to apologize again Presea turned her back on him.

"Don't apologize." She said. "Even if you apologize…I can't forgive you right now." With that Altessa went inside and shut the door.

"PRESEA…I BELIEVE YOUR LOSS HAS BEEN GREAT." Said Tabatha. "BUT PLEASE, DO NOT LOSE YOURSELF AS WELL." With that, she followed him into the house.

"I…can understand Presea's feelings a little." Said Mithos. "Some things…never came back… Even if he apologizes…even if you want to forgive, you can't control those feelings."

"Not being forgiven…that may be punishment." Regal trailed.

"I don't think that's right." Said Lloyd. "Forgiving or not forgiving isn't a punishment. I can't really explain it well, but…"

"Ah, well anyway, let's not get into a philosophical discussion right now." said Zelos in a bid to change the subject. "Presea doesn't need to force herself to forgive him or anything. Let's just think about what we can do now."

"Yes, you're right." Raine said thoughtfully. "As for me, I think we should take this opportunity to ask Altessa all he knows about Cruxis. We currently don't have enough information. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would like to know myself what he meant by Celes and Aurina." Said Hannah. "From the way he said it, we were expected or something…"

"The only possible explanation is someone is leaking information." Said Kratos. "To my knowledge, not even Lord Yggdrassil knows who you truly are."

"And yet, that may not be entirely accurate anymore." We heard a new voice say. Everyone turned to see Yuan walking up to us. "There's been yet another change."

"What's going on?" Hannah asked him.

"There's a situation in Sylverant that requires your presence, Katrin." He replied. "You might want to bring three people as well—this person asked for you, specifically."

"I see…" she trailed thoughtfully. "Angel, Fin and Hannah. If you don't mind, of course."

"Not a problem." Said Angel. "I doubt it's anything we can't handle."

"In the meantime, I will be joining Lloyd and Mark Anthony's group for a time." Said Yuan. "Once the situation has been rectified then I will have to attend to other affairs."

"This certainly is a surprise." Said Colette. "And just now we welcomed Mithos and Martel into our group!"

"Mithos and…Martel…?!" He stammered. When he saw them he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "It's can't be…"

"What is it?" asked Raine.

"These two are…" He trailed but then stopped. "Kratos, Mark Anthony and Celes, may a have a moment with you?"

---

"Please tell me this isn't some kind of joke." He pleaded.

"I'm afraid not." I replied. "They really are Mithos and Martel Yggdrassil."

"I'd heard you gave birth to a Half-Elf, Celes but I didn't expect THAT…" Yuan trailed.

"Well the fact of the matter is the real Martel Yggdrassil is dead." said Kratos. "She died 4,000 years ago. Even with her Exsphere there is no way Mithos could—"

"Is something the wrong?" we heard Martel ask.

"I don't know but Yuan looked like he saw a ghost when he saw you." was Sheena's reply.

"If this is too much for you then maybe you shouldn't come with us just yet." I suggested. "Just being in her presence will remind you of Martel."

"Knowing she's just a girl who looks like her, I think I'll be alright." Yuan replied dismissively.

"Actually, for all intents and purposes she IS Martel Yggdrassil." said Celes. "I saw her charts--her DNA, her mana signature and even her memories. Aside from the new body you could say she never died at all."

"…" was his reply.

"Does she…remember me…us?" Yuan asked Kratos.

"I don't know." He replied. "When she saw me, either she pretended she didn't know me or she has no memory of us at all. Based on what Ted told me, chances are good it's the former."

"I see." The Renegade Leader deduced. "If that's the case I think I'll play along. That and I want to see how long those two can keep this charade going." With that, we returned to the others.

"We were just filling Yuan in on what's been going on up to now." Celes explained.

"Not a problem." said Lloyd. "Presea, would you rather wait here?"

"No…I'll listen as well." She replied. We went into the house to find out what Altessa knew about the Cruxis.

"It'll be a long story." He warned.

"That's okay." Colette replied.

"Cruxis is an organization made up almost entirely of half-elves." He began "There are a large number of dwarves besides me involved as well."

"So there are other dwarves besides you and my Dad?" Lloyd asked in amazement.

"Their objectives were to begin the Age of Half-elves and the revival of Martel." He replied. "For that purpose, they make use of the Church of Martel and try to fuse the Chosen with Martel's consciousness."

"But if that's true, then why do the Desians try to kill the Chosen?" asked Genis.

"Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals awaken when stimulated by people's fear and suffering along with their combat instincts." The dwarf replied. "That is why the Desians disrupt the declining world. In order to facilitate the angel transformation, they deliberately put the Chosen in danger."

'Rodyle…what is he scheming?' Regal asked him.

"The revival of the Mana Cannon," Altessa replied. "He obtained the plans to the Mana Cannon somehow and is constructing it in Sylverant. He's also the master of his own ranch. It's likely he's using his captives in the construction of the cannon. Once it's complete, he probably intends to build his own empire."

"How can he make everyone suffer for such a thing?" Presea asked in horror.

"So then is it true that Yggdrassil made the two worlds?" asked Sheena.

"Well, that's how I heard it." Altessa replied. "That he anchored the two worlds, which are never to come in contact, via four mana links, and placed the Great Seed in the center between them to guard it."

"The Great Seed?" Lloyd repeated. "Where have I heard that before…?"

"It comes up in the stories of the Hero, Mithos." Martel replied. "That's what people called the soul of Mithos, who died on the Holy Ground of Kharlan after the close of the Ancient War."

"Wait a minute." Genis said suddenly. "That's true, but why does the same legend of Mithos from Sylverant also exist over here? I've been wondering about this for a while now. There are two Holy Grounds of Kharlan, two Towers of Salvation, and now the legend of Mithos is the same, too?"

"It seems it's possible to travel between the two worlds at their poles." Altessa suggested. "I don't know where those poles would be, but perhaps that person we know as Mithos used that to travel between the worlds."

"Bipolar…yes…that's it…" Raine trailed.

"Professor, what is it?" Zelos asked.

"This is my theory." Raine began. "Perhaps the Ancient War was in fact a war between Tethe'alla and Sylverant, and the hero Mithos arranged the truce that ended the war."

"And so that would be why the legend of Mithos exists in both worlds." Lloyd concluded.

"Yes, and if we assume that one of the two poles is the Holy Ground of Kharlan, then we can understand the meaning of the existence of two Holy Grounds." Raine replied. "That's the door between the two worlds."

"Yes, that makes sense." Regal noted. "I've heard many ideas regarding the bipolar structure of the worlds, but yours works from a logical standpoint."

"What other ideas have there been?" Raine asked him.

"There is a legend passed down in Altamira about something called the Otherworldly Gate." He replied.

"The Otherworldly Gate…" She trailed.

"So what is the Great Seed?" asked Colette.

"I don't know that either." Martel replied. "But Lord Yggdrassil said that it was more important than his life."

---

"If everyone looked a little bit closer, they'd realize the keys to finding out are much closer than meets the eye." I said as I looked at Mithos, Martel, Kratos and Yuan.

"Do you know something, Celes?" asked Genis.

"You have no idea." I replied with a laugh. "This goes against what Dad told us but I'll say it anyway."

"I can't wrap my head around all of this stuff at once…" Lloyd said as he held his head with his hands. "Can this wait or would you be able to tell us later?"

SMACK!

"If you want to help Colette, you might want to listen to what she has to say!" Raine said after smacking Lloyd.

"Why do you hit so hard…?" Lloyd asked as he rubbed his head. Raine then gained the title "Dean of Discipline".

"I think it would better if I showed you." I said as I reached for my Cruxis Crystal.

"Celes, what the…!" Mark exclaimed. Right after removing the Rune Crest, my body began to crystallize. I put it back on before it reached my chest and my body returned to normal.

"What the heck is THAT?!" Lloyd exclaimed in shock.

"It's a disease that afflicts those who have a Cruxis Crystal." I replied. "My Key Crest is actually a special kind called a Rune Crest. Without it, Colette wouldn't be the only one turning into a Cruxis Crystal." The look she gave me told me she was both surprised and shocked that I not only knew that but told everyone.

"Is this true?" asked Sheena.

"…" was her reply.

"The Key Crest Colette has is useless for her affliction." said Katrin. "She'll need a Rune Crest like Celes but don't worry. The parasitic process is very slow and painless. Besides, we lack the means of gathering the necessary materials to make one right now."

"You all must be tired by now." said Altessa. "Why don't you rest here for the night?

Martel and Mithos…right? If you don't have anywhere else to go, you should stay here at my place for a while."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Martel asked him. "We're Half-Elves…"

"The only ones living here are Tabatha, who I made, and me, a dwarf." He replied.

"You made Tabatha?" Genis asked in surprise.

"Yes, Tabatha is an automated doll." He replied. "So having a half-elf here isn't a problem at all."

"Okay, we'll stay." said Mithos.

---

The next morning, we woke up to find out Raine and Katrin were missing!

"It seems Raine left a note saying she had something she wanted to investigate and then left." Genis explained as we gathered outside.

"SHORTLY BEFORE DAWN, I SAW TWO RHEAIRDS HEADED SOUTH." Tabatha added. "PERHAPS THAT WAS THEM."

"South…so in the direction of Altamira…" Regal said thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it, Her Highness was acting just a bit strange yesterday." Zelos remarked. "Raine was going on and on about the Otherworldly Gate."

"What should be do, Lloyd?" I asked Lloyd.

"I'm worried about Raine being by herself…" said Genis.

"I wonder why Katrin went with her…" mom trailed.

"Let's go find them." Lloyd suggested. "It's not good for us to be separated right now."

"Ah…um…will you take us with you?" Mithos asked suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" asked Leon. "It could be dangerous."

"I know that, but I'm worried about her." Mithos replied. "There are monsters all over Tethe'alla right now. This is the first time I've met another half-elf besides Martel so…I want her to be okay."

"All right, come on." said Lloyd.

"Thank you, Lloyd!" he beamed. "Let's do our best, Genis!"

"Genis, let him ride on your Reihard." said Lloyd.

"Okay!" the remaining Sage replied.

"This is for Presea." Altessa said as he came outside.

"A Key Crest…" Lloyd remarked.

It's hardly enough to call it an apology, but I went ahead and made one." He said. "It will be more reliable than that makeshift one she has now."

"Presea, let's accept it." Lloyd suggested. With the new Key Crest in hand we headed for Altamira. Upon reaching the gates, a few people refused to enter,

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to wait here." said Regal.

"What's up?" asked Lloyd.

"…" was his reply.

"Won't say why, huh?" Zelos remarked. "Well, if you don't want to talk about it, that's your business. Lloyd, let him do what he wants."

"All right, we'll catch you on the way out." said Lloyd.

"I too must be going as well." said Yuan. Last night I received a message from Hannah. She and the rest of her group are in Sylverant and will meet up with you in Palmacosta. It seems Katrin's husband and nine children were being held at a Human Ranch."

"WH-WHAT?!" Celes and I exclaimed.

"That's direct from the person who freed them: Ted Toss." Yuan continued. "They're fine now and are going to stay in Palmacosta for now."

"I see…" Celes remarked. "Then everything will resolve itself over the next day and a half."

"I too must be going." said Kratos suddenly. "There is someone I wish to speak with at a house on the other side of this island. I should be here with Regal by the time your business here is done."

"We're fine with that, take your time." I said with a grin. The rest of us wandered about Altamira asking about Raine and Katrin's whereabouts.

"Alicia, is it really you?!" One man asked Presea.

"You…know Alicia?" Presea asked with surprise. "Alicia is my…sister."

"Ohh…I see." He replied. Of course! Alicia passed away quite some time ago. She couldn't possibly be standing here, now."

"Passed away!" Presea exclaimed in horror.

"What happened?" asked Lloyd.

"Alicia came to work in the service of the noble Bryant family, but she was caught up in an unfortunate incident that resulted in her death." He replied. "I dare not speak of the details. Please forgive me. Alicia's grave lies in the Sky Terrace of the Lezareno Company headquarters. Please stop by there if you have the time. Alicia would surely be pleased to receive a visit from her younger sister. If you show this to the receptionists, they should let you through." He then handed Colette his ID Card before leaving.

"Younger sister?" Genis pondered. "I thought Presea was the older one?"

"That's strange." Zelos remarked. "Presea said she had a younger sister."

"Oh, I know!" Colette piped up. "Maybe there are three sisters in all!"

"Oh, come on…" Zelos rebutted.

"Let's just go check it out." said Leon.

---

"Alicia…what happened to you?" Presea said as we stood atop the Sky Terrace overlooking the rest of the city.

"What's this?" asked Martel as she noted something shiny embedded in the gravestone.

"Hey, there's an Exsphere embedded here!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Why is there an Exsphere…" Presea started to say but was cut off when Alicia's Astral Form appeared before us.

"Presea…sis!" she exclaimed. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Alicia!" Presea replied in shock.

"I'm so happy I can see you again before I disappear…" Alicia trailed.

"What's going on?" asked Presea. "Are you still alive?"

"I…I exist only in the Exsphere." She replied. "Soon, even my consciousness will be gone. The Exsphere killed my body and absorbed my consciousness."

"I can't believe you've become a victim of the Exsphere as well…" Presea trailed sadly.

"Presea, please grant me my request." Alicia pleaded. "Before I disappear…please find my master. Please find Master Bryant!"

"Bryant?" she repeated. "The noble you went to serve?"

"Yes, by killing me, he…" That's all Alicia said before she disappeared.

"He killed you?!" Presea exclaimed in horror. "Please, tell me what happened!" There was no response and a sad silence filled the Sky Terrace. "Lloyd, please help me find Alicia's killer." Presea finally said.

"Of course." He replied. "We'll beat this Bryant guy to a pulp and drag him back here!"

"Yeah!" Genis cheered. "I won't let him get away with killing your sister!"

"Thank you." was her reply.

"Ok, I think it's time I reveal some more story now." Mark Anthony said suddenly.

"What?" asked Mithos.

"But before I do, I'm going to ask you to promise me something, Presea." He said.

"What's that?" she asked.

"That you withhold judgment until Regal can explain the rest of the story." He replied. A look of shock came across everyone else including Mithos and Martel. "Believe it or not, it's because he killed her that he refuses to take off those shackles. It's not my place to say anything more so let's leave it to him to tell the rest."

"There's one other thing, too." I added. "Regal must not know we know what happened—at least not yet."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" asked Sheena.

"If Angel was here I'd have her use her Amnesia spell…" Ann trailed. "Just pretend Mark didn't say anything. Yeah, that's it!"

"Exspheres are terrible things, aren't they?" Martel asked as she stared at the gravesite.

"Yeah…" Genis trailed.

"Hey, time to go." said Mithos.

"Okay." She said as she turned to join us. Upon returning to the lobby we found out someone matching Raine's description was at the Otherworldly Gate. After getting directions we picked up Regal and Kratos and headed right over there. Upon arrival that night we found Rain and Katrin there.

"Professor!" Lloyd called as we ran over.

"Everyone!" Katrin exclaimed in surprise. "Why are you all here?"

"Why do you think we're here?" Genis retorted. "We were worried about you!"

"It's dangerous to come here alone." Mithos warned. "As a fellow half-elf, I can't just leave you here by yourself."

"Why did you come to this place?" asked Lloyd.

"This is where Genis and I were abandoned." She replied.

"What are you talking about?" asked Lloyd. "You two are from Sylverant."

"No, I happened to catch sight of this place when we rescued Colette and it's been on my mind ever since." She replied. "Then, when I heard the story about the two poles which connect the two worlds, I became certain. The images in my memory…the ruin I've been searching for all this time is this place."

"So what are you saying?" asked Sheena. "The two of you were born in Tethe'alla?"

"It can't be!" Genis exclaimed. All my memories are of Iselia!"

"We were born and raised in the village of the elves, from which we were eventually ostracized." Raine explained. "We were abandoned here because this place was said to be the path to the legendary Sylverant."

"The village of the elves?" Martel repeated. "The secret village said to be off-limits to

anyone except elvenkind?

"I don't know the details of what happened, but I'm positive that I was left here along with Genis when he was just a newborn." She replied. "And we eventually ended up in Sylverant."

"Then this time, let me send you to hell instead!" we heard a voice suddenly exclaim.

"Who's there?!" asked Lloyd. Then Kuchinawa revealed himself.

"What are you talking about?" Sheena asked him.

"My chance to avenge my parents' deaths has finally arrived." He announced as an army of Papal Knights suddenly appeared around us.

"Avenge your parents?" Sheena repeated.

"That's right." He said. "You will die for killing my parents along with countless others of our village when you failed to control Volt."

"That was an accident!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Why are you doing this now?"

"I could have accepted things if she just failed to make a pact with a Summon Spirit." He explained. "But then she failed to assassinate the Chosen of Sylverant, thereby placing Mizuho in danger. Yet look at her now. She's made pacts with Summon Spirits just like that!"

"You have it all wrong!" Colette replied.

"Oh, really?" asked the Ninja. "I think she wasn't really trying during the first pact-making! Because of that, she killed my parents and our people."

"I did the best I could!" The female Ninja exclaimed.

"Enough excuses!" Kuchinawa roared. "Kill them all but leave Sheena for me!"

---

"_Arise, O Master of the Deep!"_ We heard a familiar voice say. _"The sea and all contained therein. Come forth, Leviathan!" _The roar of dad's Leviathan preceded a huge wave that took out all of the Papal Knights in one fell swoop, leaving Kuchinawa alone.

"That was…!" Mom exclaimed even though we already knew.

"Kuchinawa, please don't drag them into this!" Sheena exclaimed. "I'm the one you despise right? Then I'm the only one you need to kill!"

"Sheena, stop talking like that!" Lloyd exclaimed. Just then, the Otherworldly gate activated, opening a way to escape.

"Lloyd, come on!" Zelos exclaimed as he grabbed Sheena by the arm and pulled her into the Otherworldly gate. The rest of us quickly followed but I stopped for a moment. Standing on the other side of the island I could see dad.

"I knew it!" I exclaimed with a grin before entering the gate.

"Where are we?" Regal asked after we were all safely in Sylverant.

"It looks like the outskirts of Palmacosta." Raine noted.

"The mana level seems to have risen, but it's definitely Sylverant." Genis confirmed.

"Phew, man, I never thought I'd wind up coming over to this side like that." said Zelos.

"Zelos, why did you do that?' Sheena asked him angrily.

"Excuse me?" he asked in surprise. "Don't tell me you really wanted to die back there. Besides, those guys would have come after us regardless of whether or not you died, Pope's orders and all."

"Are you saying Kuchinawa is working for the Pope?" Sheena asked him.

"It's likely." Raine confirmed.

"Sheena, please don't do something like that again." said Colette. "Don't make the same mistakes I did. Nothing good will come of you sacrificing your life."

"Colette's absolutely right." I said. "You should thank Zelos, Sheena."

Thanks, I guess…" she said.

"Come on now, would it hurt you to give me a kiss or two?" Zelos asked her.

"Yes, I've been wondering about that." Celes remarked. "You already told me you're –"

"DON'T!" Sheena warned as she pulled a knife from her belt.

"You wouldn't!" Celes dared her.

"Try me." Sheena confirmed.

"She's pregnant with Zelos' child." Celes finished. A moment later, Sheena jumped at Celes, knife raised. At the last moment Celes opened her wings and flew up high.

"Don't tell me you forgot I have WINGS, now huh?" Celes taunted as Sheena screamed obscenities and promises to kill her.

"Oh…ouch..." Zelos said dejectedly. "Celes then gained the title 'Winged Gossip'.

"But what are we gonna do now?" asked Mithos in a bid to change the subject.

"Well since we're back in Sylverant, why don't we find out what the Desians are up to?" Lloyd suggested.

"What about Mithos and Martel?" asked Genis. "We can't drag them into this."

"Maybe we could ask the Palmacosta government to take care of them for a while."

"Hmm…I guess that's a good idea." The Swordsman agreed.

"I wanna fight, too!" Mithos said suddenly.

"What are you saying?" asked Genis with a look of surprise. "This journey is dangerous even if you had an Exsphere."

"He's right, Mithos." Raine added. "We do appreciate your sentiment, though."

"I suppose you're right." said Mithos. "I understand.

"Well, I say we let him fight!" I exclaimed. "He's not as puny as he looks!"

"HEY!" Mithos exclaimed. "I am not puny!"

"Yes you are." I replied.

"No I'm not!" he shot back.

"Yes, you are." I repeated.

"RETRIBUTION!" He shouted before I was hit with several blasts of white light.

"Ouch…" I said before eating a Miracle Gel. I then gained the title 'Instigator'.

"Ok, ok you can join us." Lloyd caved. "But before we go to Palmacosta, let's check out things at Luin."

---

"Everyone, look!" Pietro exclaimed as we entered the city. "We've done it! We've finally rebuilt Luin."

"This is incredible!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"We owe it to you." He replied. "Thank you very much. Actually, I've talked with the people of the city, and we've made a plan to develop the city further to serve as a sign of resistance. Thanks to you, Luin has completely changed and I feel I have been able to repay my debt to this city."

"Good job Pietro!" Sheena admonished.

"No, please say that to the people of this city." He replied. "It was thanks to the strength of these people that we were able to rebuild and expand Luin. As soon as I finish my remaining duties, I intend to go on a journey. I want to save all those that are suffering at the hands of the Desians." Our work in Luin done, we headed for Palmacosta.

"Chosen One, Lloyd!" Neil greeted us. "How is the journey to release the seals going?"

"Uh, e…everything's going well!" Lloyd said before Colette could speak. "Anyway, we were wondering if you could take care of her for a while."

"I certainly don't mind, but who is she?" asked Clara.

"She's traveling with us for a moment, but we're heading to an area that is too dangerous for her." Raine explained.

"Are you heading to the Palmacosta Ranch?" Neil asked us.

"What are you talking about?" asked Genis. "That was destroyed."

"A Man named Yuan stopped by the other day." said Clara. "He asked that you meet him there about something."

"I wonder if Magnius came back?" Colette asked.

"I don't know if it's related, but there are also reports that Desians are attacking the sea route between Izoold and Palmacosta." Neil added. "They seem to be constructing some sort of giant infrastructure on the ocean floor."

"The Remote Island Human Ranch is located in that region." Raine remarked.

"I wonder what's going on over there." said Lloyd. "Maybe it's the Mana Cannon that Rodyle is building."

"Well, if you're worried about it, why don't we go take a look?" Zelos suggested.

"Even if it's not the Mana Cannon, this city will become the next Luin if the Palmacosta ranch is operational again." Sheena warned.

"Well, it seems our plans are set." said Raine. "We'll come back for Martel later."

"We understand." said Clara. "We'll keep her safe."

Mithos, be careful." said Martel. "Raine, Genis, Lloyd and everyone else, too."

"Just wait here for a little while" said Genis. "Is that okay, Mithos?"

"Yeah, we'll be back in no time." He added.

"Genis, please take this with you." Martel said as she took a pan flute out of her pocket.

"What's this?" he asked as he held it.

"It's…a memento from me to you." She replied. "It's priceless and one of a kind."

"I can't take that!" Genis exclaimed.

"If you find yourself in danger, play it." She said. "I don't know what it can do, but it may just be able to save you."

"Okay…thank you." Genis said as he put it away. "I promise I'll come back and return it to you."

---

Ok, that's Chapter 17. DAMN, this took AWHILE to sift through. I decided to bring Mithos along for something I have planned next chapter. It has something to do with Aska and Luna, heh. I know Ted and Abyssion weren't mentioned that much but I DID give Leviathan a cameo this chapter.

A fair warning: Next chapter will be AT LEAST a week away. Why? I just copied the script I am basing it on and it's longer than that of any other chapter I've done to now. Whenever it's done will be when you get it!


	18. Chapter 18: Secrets Revealed

---

Chapter 18: Secrets Revealed

---

A/N: This underwent A LOT of editing and stuff like that. Hopefully you'll agree that the wait was WELL worth it XD

---

When we arrived at the Ruined Palmacosta Ranch we found Yuan, Hannah and the rest of the Renegades there waiting for us.

"So that's it." said Genis. "Neil and the others couldn't tell the difference between the Desians and the Renegades."

"We've been waiting for you." said Botta.

"Are you saying you were expecting us to come here?" asked Regal.

"We have more important things to discus, such as joining forces." Hannah urged, ignoring Regal's question.

"Do you know of the Giant Kharlan Tree?" Yuan asked as he walked over to us.

"The legendary Giant Tree said to have existed in the Holy Ground of Kharlan, right?" asked Mithos. "It's the tree of life, which produces infinite mana." I noticed Genis and Colette shoot him a look of curiosity.

"Isn't that just a fairy tale?" Colette asked.

"The Giant Kharlan Tree indeed existed." said Yuan. "But the Kharlan War exhausted its mana supply and the tree wilted away. Now all that remains is its seed left in the Holy Ground of Kharlan."

"The seed of the Giant Tree is in the final seal?" asked Colette in surprise.

"It is known as the Great Seed." Yuan explained.

"Are you talking about the Soul of Mithos?" asked Genis.

"Now THAT is a fairy tale." said Botta "The Great Seed, the source of the world's mana, is the seed of the Giant Tree."

"The Great Seed is absolutely vital in order to reunite the two worlds." Yuan reaffirmed.

"Reunite the two worlds?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I believe I told you before--Yggdrassil is the creator of the two worlds." Yuan replied. "Originally the world was one but Yggdrassil ripped it asunder."

"How is it even possible for someone to split the world apart?" asked Colette.

"It was possible for Yggdrassil." said Yuan as he looked at Mithos. "The two worlds have managed to survive by vying for the small amount of mana seeping from the Great Seed."

"So that's why the cycle of flourishing and declining continues, and the Chosen goes on a journey of regeneration…" Raine trailed.

"But if the Great Seed germinates, the Giant Tree will be restored and the cycle will come to an end." Yuan finished.

"How do we resurrect the Giant Tree?" Lloyd asked him.

"The Great Seed is nearly dead." said the Renegade Leader."We must expose it to a large amount of mana in order to save it."

"There's no supply of mana like that to be found anywhere in the world..."Raine trailed.

"If Ted, Abyssion and I combined our swords we'd be able to do it." Hannah said suddenly. 'Time, Space and Energy. When the three are combined, an endless supply of power awaits the one who would wield it."

"A pity Dad sealed them inside the Tower of Salvation." Mark Anthony noted.

"Cruxis' base, Derris-Kharlan, is a comet made from a giant mass of mana." Yuan informed us. "It lies suspended in the sky high above this land. All we have to do is use

that."

"If that's true, why doesn't Yggdrassil revive the Giant Tree?" Lloyd asked him.

"All of Derris-Kharlan's mana is being given to Martel for the sake of resurrecting her." he replied.

"What...?" asked Colette.

"By using the power of a Cruxis Crystal, Martel's soul lives on, existing as a part of the Great Seed." Yuan explained.

"If Martel awakens, the Great Seed will be absorbed into her and disappear." Botta added. "The reverse also holds true. In order to prevent that from happening, Yggdrassil protects the Great Seed with the seals of the Summon Spirits."

"So that's why the Renegades are trying to stop Martel's revival." Raine realized.

"We will make the Great Seed germinate." Yuan confirmed. "As a result, Martel will be absorbed by the seed and then…"

"The Giant Kharlan Tree will be reborn." Lloyd finished.

"If that happens, will the two worlds become one again?" Colette asked him.

"That I don't know." he confessed. "The only certainty is that the world will end if the seed is lost."

"So, you're gonna have Miss Martel be a good little girl and disappear." Zelos guessed.

"Martel is already dead, or I should say was." Yuan announced to everyone's surprise. "If it weren't for Derris-Kharlan's mana, her soul would have disappeared a long time ago."

"Why is Yggdrasill so obsessed with Martel?" Genis wondered aloud.

"That doesn't matter." Yuan replied. "What's important is that we see to it that the Great Seed germinates."

"Up till now, the Great Seed has been protected by the Summon Spirits of the declining world." Hannah explained. "Now that the links have begun to unravel, the Great Seed's

protection has weakened."

"Because we have been forming pacts with the Summon Spirits of both worlds." Presea remarked.

"Now I understand why you want us to join you." said Raine rather bluntly. "It's because we have Sheena and Ann, who are summoners."

"Yes, but I'd say Sheena is more useful to us than me." Ann said with a laugh. "She's been the one making pacts with the summons spirits of Sylverant and Tethe'alla."

"Yuan, are you with Cruxis or are you with the Renegades?" Lloyd suddenly asked.

"I am with Cruxis, and I am also the leader of the Renegades." he admitted.

"A double-agent?!" Regal exclaimed.

"In other words, a traitor." said Zelos.

"So, what's your decision?" Yuan asked us.

"Of course we're helping you." said Mark Anthony. "Our dad and Abyssion are in even deeper trouble than you are and I think he'd want us to work together."

"I agree." said Lloyd. "He's revealed the fact that he is a traitor. He's putting himself

on the line. That has to mean something."

"I'll trust him, too." said Colette.

"You were headed towards Rodyle's ranch, correct?" Yuan asked us.

"You sure know a lot about what we're doing." Zelos remarked. "Do you have a spy watching us or something?"

"More than one, really." I remarked with a laugh. "And then there's some of us knowing the full story, which is fun."

"No kidding but either way, we have to stop that Mana Cannon thing before it's completed." said Lloyd.

"We also have a debt to pay back to Rodyle." Presea added.

"The ranch and Mana Cannon systems should be interlinked." Hannah explained. "Disabling the control room should be our first priority."

"You seem to know…quite a lot about them." Raine trailed.

"We have a reason to infiltrate Rodyle's ranch as well." Botta explained. "We can guide you to the entrance, if you'd like."

"Of course, please take us there." I said.

"Why are you going to the ranch?" Sheena asked Yuan.

"We need to make preparations to fire mana at the Great Seed." he explained.  
Oh, and by the way. The Rheaird dimensional transfer system will be offline while we make our preparations. You'll have to wait until after we infiltrate the ranch if you want to get back to Tethe'alla."

"Got it." Said Mark Anthony. "Take us there, Renegades!"

"Talk to Botta when you're ready." Yuan said before turning to his cohort. "I'll leave the rest to you, Botta."

"Understood." he replied with a nod before turning to us. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, we're good to go." I said.

"Then follow me." said Hannah as she unsheathed Excalibur. The sword began to glow and with a swing, she teleported all of us to the Remote Island Human Ranch.

"We have work to do on the mana reactor in here." Botta said as his underlings began to enter the facility. "If you head straight, it should connect to the ranch." As he, Hannah and the other Renegades turned to go Botta turned to us once more. "Ah, one more thing. It seems you've destroyed every ranch you've been to, but we need the mana reactor in order to sprout the Great Seed. Don't destroy this one."

"Hear that, Raine?" Genis said teasingly once Botta was out of Earshot.

"It's not like I destroy them for fun, you know." She retorted.

"In order to disable the Mana Cannon, we need to go to the control room." Regal noted.

"My intuition tells me it's probably the room farthest in." Said Mark Anthony. "So for this place, that would be the top floor."

"We've been to enough of these places already, so things like that should be pretty obvious." I replied.

"Well then, let's get going and look for that control room." said Zelos as we entered the base.

---

As we infiltrated the base we found the captives and using a bit of bait, got the Desians to free them. After doing that we were able to go further into the base. Upon finding a rather familiar light puzzle, Angel and Leon used their Magic to disengage them, allowing us a clear path to the Control Room, where Rodyle awaited us.

"Well, I see the failed Chosen and their traveling band of fools are still alive." Rodyle said as we entered. "You're all as stubborn as cockroaches."

"You and Vharley…deceived me." Presea his.

"Presea…I'd have treated you so much better had you made me a Cruxis Crystal in that little body of yours." Rodyle retorted tonelessly.

"Die!" she hissed.

"Now, now, settle down." Rodyle said with a sinister laugh. "Have a look at the projector. I've got a special underwater show for you." Watched the projector of the prisoners attempting to escape, but the flood of water rose near the level of where the prisoners were.

"H…how could you do that?!" Sheena exclaimed. "They'll all be killed!"

"You bastard!" Lloyd spat. "Stop the water, now!"

"It's too late." Rodyle informed us. Lloyd drew his sword and attempted to attack Rodyle but he quickly evaded. I had to admit is was impressive considering his attire. "I know why you've come here. I'm sure you intend to shut down my Mana Cannon. But you won't succeed. I've filled the corridor leading to the Mana Cannon with sea water!"

"You're going to kill all those people at the ranch just to stop us?!" Colette exclaimed, horrified.

"Who cares about the lives of pathetic inferior beings?!" He retorted. "The Mana Cannon will be completed once I get the Cruxis Crystal. With Thor's Hammer in my possession, Yggdrassil and Cruxis will beg for my mercy! Even that eye-sore of a tower will fall before my cannon."

"What do you hope to accomplish by destroying the Tower of Salvation?!" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"That's nothing you lower life forms need to concern yourselves with." Rodyle replied dismissively. "The Cruxis Crystal is finally mine! Now, let's see. I think I'll test its power first by equipping it on myself." We were all surprised to see him transform into a monster.

"Whoa!" Genis exclaimed.

"Allow me to vanquish this fiend!" said Midas, Katrin's husband. Everyone watched in surprise as he turned into a Lion. He then pounced and mauled the mutant Rodyle, never giving him a chance. Once done, he transformed back into his human form.

"Nice work, Midas!" I exclaimed.

"Ugh…what's happening?… My…my body…my body is disintegrating!" Rodyle screamed as he flailed his arms. "Pronyma. you tricked me! But I won't die alone! I'm taking you all with me!" And with that he died, but not before activating the self-destruct mechanism. We then watched his body evaporate until it was no more.

"No! He's activated the self-destruct system!" Raine exclaimed.

"Botta warned us not to destroy this place!" Colette exclaimed.

"The only ones among us who can handle this machinery is Raine and Mark Anthony…" I trailed.

"Most Tethe'allans don't really study the details of magitechnology very much." Zelos added.

"Professor, Mark!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I know, but we can't do this by ourselves!" Raine shot back.

"We'll take over from here." Botta said as he, Hannah and a few Renegades entered the Control Room. "The rest of you go and escape through the hatch over there."

"Botta and Hannah! You're okay!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"There'll be plenty of time for chit-chat later." Botta said with a calm sense of urgency. "Leave now. You'll only get in our way!". Hannah led the way into the next room. From there we could see Botta and his men working furiously to fix things. Then we saw the control room filling with water.

"We've got to open that door!" Lloyd exclaimed. The two of us tried to pry the hatch we passed through open without any luck.

"It's no use!" I exclaimed. "It won't budge!"

"Move!" Fin said suddenly as he walked over to the window. I could see Force Energy beginning to swell around him as he put his hands together. "Astra Bands, grant me your strength—Dynamite Punch!" When he stuck the window, it shattered into dust. Even I was amazed at the power of the attack.

"Well done, Fin..." Katrin trailed, equally amazed.

"Botta did this on purpose." Raine said. "They knew the water was coming and locked it

from the inside."

"Why would they do that?!" asked Colette.

"If the door opens, this area will be flooded as well and as you can see, the ceiling is covered by a dome." she replied. "There's nowhere for the water to escape."

Well, thanks to Fin we may share in the fate they deigned for themselves." Zelos remarked.

"We've stopped the self-destruct system." Botta said as he walked over to us. "Our goal was to modify each ranch's mana reactor in order to fire mana at the Great Seed. Now that we've finished reprogramming this control room, our mission is complete."

"Yeah, but it looks like we're all going to die in this base!" Genis said with fright.

"No!" Colette exclaimed.

"We've got to get out of here!" I exclaimed. "If you know Magic, aim for the ceiling!"

"Everyone, behind you!" Presea suddenly exclaimed. "We looked and saw all of Rodyle's pets were released and from the looks of things, they were hungry.

"Their cages probably opened when the self-destruct system was activated." Raine guessed.

"Look out, here they come!" Regal said as they began to dive.

"Guys..."Leon trailed as water poured into the room.

"That's just great." said Katrin. "If these dragons don't eat us then we'll drown!"

"Firestorm!" Leon, Angel and Genis said in unison. The blast of fire incinerated a group of the Winged Dragons huddled together but more took their place.

"Fine, be that way!" Angel spat as we were pushed back towards the flooded Control Room. "Mom or Sheena, summon something!"

"Any worthwhile summoning takes time!" Mom shot back before summoning Gale Wind. Using the power of wind it blew away more of the Dragons before pushing them back. "I'm just warming up!" Mom said before Gale Wind dismembered several more Dragons.

"Damn, they're tough!" Mark spat as more Dragons joined the fray.

"If we lose, we'll never be able to pass on Botta's message." Genis trailed.

"Martel's Pan Pipe!" Genis suddenly exclaimed as he took it from his pocket and played it. Several bolts of white light fell from above and killed the dragons, making all of us look up.

"What was that?" Lloyd wondered aloud as we caught the sight of Aska taking out the rest of the Dragons before flying off.

"Was that a Summon Spirit?" asked Angel with a look of shock.

"Genis! Mithos! Everybody!" a familiar voice shouted at us from above.

"That's Martel's voice!" Mithos exclaimed.

"What's Martel doing here?" Lloyd asked him.

"Please, get on these Reihards!" she exclaimed, allowing no time for an explanation.

"Let's worry about the how and why later." Raine said as we narrowly escaped the flooded base.

"What was that attack just now?" Genis asked Martel as we flew towards Palmacosta. "And how did you get a Reihard...?"

"I'm sorry. I was worried about all of you and I just couldn't stay behind." she said. "So I asked the Renegades to let me borrow a Reihard."

"But what was that powerful attack?" asked Celes. "It looked like something I've seen before somewhere..."

"That was a…actually, I don't know either." Martel replied hesitantly. "When I heard the flute I tried my best to get inside, so I just started blasting the dome with fireballs. Then all of a sudden a golden sparkling bird appeared and helped me."

"Golden sparkling bird?" Sheena repeated. "Could it be Aska?!"

"It can't be!" Raine exclaimed. "Why would a Summon Spirit...?"

"What do you mean?" asked Presea with a look of confusion.

"Do you think Genis called Aska when he played the flute?" Lloyd asked Sheena.

"Martel's flute?" Genis asked as he held it.

"I wonder…We'll need to investigate the flute itself to find out the truth." Raine concluded.

"But shouldn't you all rest first? Let's head back to Palmacosta." Martel suggested. "I must apologize to Neil…I left without telling him."

"All right…it's not like we'll figure anything out by dwelling about it here." said Lloyd. "Let's head back."

"Thank you, Martel!" Genis exclaimed. "We owe you our lives. I didn't realize how amazing you are!"

"N…not…not at all." Martel said as her face turned bright red.

"I'm so happy we're all friends!" Genis cheered.

"Yes, me too." Mithos said with a smile.

---

"Everyone, you're back!" Clara exclaimed when we made it back to Palmacosta

"Yeah, but barely." Said Lloyd.

"Neil, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you…" Martel said to him.

"I'm so relieved you're safe!" Neil said. "I was so worried about you. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

"You can relax, the Palmacosta ranch is not operational." Raine informed him.

"That's good to hear." Neil said with a look of relief. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Well, we need to continue the world regeneration journey…right, Colette?" Lloyd said with a sly grin.

"Ah, y…yes." Colette stammered, realizing everyone in Sylverant had no idea we'd been traversing Tethe'alla for some time now. "We're…uh…working hard on it."

"I'm sure you are! We're all counting on you, Chosen One!" Clara beamed.

Oh, yeah--I need to give Mithos back his flute…Oh no!" Genis exclaimed. Apparently it broke between when it was used and our arrival. "I…I'm so sorry! I know how important it was!"

"No, it's all right." Martel consoled. "The flute may be broken, but my memories of my parents are still intact."

"If I can fix it…" Lloyd offered.

"It's all right." Mithos replied dismissively. "It was very old but thank you."

"Mithos." Raine said suddenly. "Does this flute have some kind of special power?"

"I…I don't know." he said after a moment. "But our parents said that it was made from the nut of a tree that become extinct long ago."

"The nut of an extinct tree…" Lloyd said as he seemed to remember something.

"That knowledge may be useful later on." Katrin noted. "Let's keep it in mind."

"So then, what now?" asked Damien.

"Botta and I are going to head back and let Yuan know we were successful." said Hannah. "After that I'll catch up with you at the Shadow Temple."

"…" was Mithos, Damien, Aurina and Angel's reaction.

"So we can use the Reihards to return to Tethe'alla?" asked Lloyd.

"I'll have the transfer system reactivated when we get to the Sylverant Base." Botta confirmed. Once they were gone everyone turned to Damien and Aurina.

"Why do I get the feeling you two don't want to go to our next destination?" Zelos asked them.

"What are you talking about?" Damien shot back. "Both of us specialize in the Dark Element. Where we're going, you're going to find us very useful."

"That remains to be seen..." Fin trailed.

---

"Well Mithos you guys, have a good time with Altessa." Lloyd said when we got back to Altessa's Place. We decided it would be a good idea for Mithos, Martel, Midas and his kids to wait for us there. While we were away Midas and company could keep everyone safe.

"You'll come and visit us, right?" asked Martel.

"Of course." said Genis. "Take care."

"I'll be praying for your success in avenging your sister." Mithos said to Presea.

"Avenging Presea's sister?" asked Regal. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, that's right." I said with a sly grin. "We haven't told Regal about it."

"Um…hey, you know, that's not a topic we really need to drag out now, right?" Celes asked as she nervously looked at everyone.

"What are you talking about?" Katrin asked teasingly. "This is important! Presea's sister was killed! If you or Angel were killed I'd be feeling pretty vengeful right now."

"Killed?" Regal repeated.

"Yes, it seems Presea's younger sister served under a noble named Bryant." Colette explained. "But then, her master Bryant…" The Convict could only look at us with a look of surprise.

"He's a monster!" Sheena exclaimed. "How can he kill a child like that?!"

"It can't be!" Regal suddenly exclaimed. "Presea, what was your sister's name?"

"…Alicia…" she replied cautiously.

"I see." he said quietly. He looked like he was about to faint.

"What do you know about this?" I asked him.

"I may know who that murderer might be." he replied. "Take me to Altamira."

---

"Where did you hear about Alicia?" Regal asked once we were at the resort.

"At Alicia's grave, in the Sky Terrace of a company called Lezareno." Lloyd replied.

"I see...let's go there, then." he said. When re reached the Lobby, it looked like the scene of a recent battle.

"Wh…whoa?! What happened?" Lloyd exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Fin demanded.

"The Exsphere Broker, Vharley…went inside…" A dying guard said before breathing his last.

"Vharley...he must pay!" Presea declared.

"Let's go on in." Colette urged. We reached the Sky Terrace in time to see George getting held up by Vharely himself.

"Tell me the password to the inner area of the Toize Valley Mine! Now!" he demanded.

"I don't know anything about it." George replied.

"Wrong answer!" Vharley roared as he unsheathed a sword.

"How about I tell you instead." Regal cut in.

"Master Regal!" George exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"So the president himself decided to pay a visit." Vharley remarked.

"President?" Lloyd repeated.

"The route to the Toize Valley Mine opens by my voice print and cornea scan." Regal explained. "Forcing it open would undoubtedly cause the Exsphere mine area to collapse."

"Is that so?" The Broker said thoughtfully. "In that case Regal, you're just going to have to come open it for us! I'm gonna be out of business if I don't get my hands on some more Exspheres."

"I think not." Regal replied flatly "Besides, Rodyle is dead. You don't have anyone to unload huge numbers of Exspheres on."

"Are you stupid?" he rebutted. "I don't need Rodyle. I've got the Pope himself on my

side! And there's plenty of people around who'd love to get their hands on some

Exspheres!"

"That's enough." Presea cut in. "I cannot forgive you for killing an innocent person." At that moment, the rogue Ninja Kuchinawa appeared.

"You're working with this guy?!" Sheena exclaimed in shock.

"Soon, the King will die and the Pope will take over." Vharley declared. "And when that happens, I'm going to grind your pathetic Lezareno Company into the ground!" His new friend then used a Smoke Bomb to make them both vanish.

"Are you all right, George?" Regal asked his subordinate.

"Yes, Master Regal." he replied. "Thank you."

"My name is Regal Bryant." Regal said to us. "I was granted the title of Duke by His Highness, and also the president of Lezareno Company. Although it would seem that the Chosen of Tethe'alla already knows me."

"I saw you at one of the Princess' birthday parties." Zelos beamed.

"Oh, yeah…I'd forgotten that this guy's actually a member of high society, too." Sheena said in reference to Zelos.

"Then, Alicia's killer, Bryant really is…" Raine trailed.

"Regal, there's something you should know since we were last here..." I began.

---

"Alicia!?" Regal suddenly exclaimed when the Elder Combatr's Astral form appeared above her grave.

"Master, I'm so happy to see you again before I disappear." she said.

"I'm sorry." he said remorsefully. "Even after death, you still suffer."

"It's all right." Alicia consoled and then added. "It's not your fault."

"Alicia…what do you mean?" asked Presea.

"Alicia and I were in love." Her sister explained.

"Then I, his servant, interfered…and forced them apart." said George.

"Alicia was handed over to Vharley." said Regal. "He wanted to use her in an Exsphere experiment."

"Was he trying to create Cruxis Crystals?" asked Colette.

"It seems so but the experiment failed." Regal replied dejectedly as the long discarded memories returned to him.

"Master Regal killed me in order to save me." Alicia repeated. "It was the only way."

"Just like Marble…" Genis remarked.

"I'm so glad I got to see you again in the end." Alicia said to Presea and Regal. "I have no regrets now so please Regal, stop punishing yourself."

"Alicia...with my own hands, I…" Regal replied, still emotionally distraught.

"I will disappear very soon." She announced. "So please, don't leave me anything to worry about. You don't need those shackles. You've suffered enough."

"I took the life of the one I love." he replied. "These are the symbol of my crime, as well as my punishment."

"You don't need that punishment anymore." she shot back. "Please, Regal…"

"…" was his reply.

"Genis and I once experienced the same thing you did." said Lloyd. "And I also imagined what it must have been like…for my dad...Kratos." Kratos looked at him briefly and turned away. "When my mom turned into a monster, and he struck her down, he must have suffered as well."

"Your father did the same thing?" Regal asked in amazement.

"What's done is done." Kratos said curtly. "The exception to your situation, of course is Lloyd's Exsphere. It's all he has to remember her by and for me it's a constant reminder of what was at the time a forbidden relationship."

"I don't know if the decisions you or my dad made were correct, but I don't think my mom would have wanted my dad to punish himself and live the way you have." Lloyd said to Regal.

"Yes, it's just as they said." Alicia added. "At least, I don't want you to live like that."

"All right, but I will never use these hands as tools of death." Regal replied. I swear that to you. To you and to Lloyd. And once we have defeated those who use Exspheres to toy with people's lives, then I shall work to make the world a better place for all people—humans, elves and half-elves as well."

"Thank you, Master. Presea…I think I can finally rest in peace." Alicia said. "Please destroy the crystal before I am totally absorbed into the Exsphere."

"Why? Can't you stay like you are now?" she asked.

"If I stay like this, I will live on forever." her sister explained. "An isolated consciousness, unable to even speak, existing for eternity… It would be true hell…"

"Presea, Regal, what do we do?" Lloyd asked them.

"Please, set her free." Regal replied and then turned to Mark Anthony. "And I, as well of the shackles that bind me. Presea nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." Alicia said with a smile. "Presea, please forgive Master Regal. Please..." And with that Lloyd destroyed the Cruxis Crystal. At the same time Mark Anthony broke Regal's bonds, allowing him the full use of his hands once more.

"I'm sorry I never said anything about this until now." he said afterward. "I'm a criminal."

"Master Regal confessed to killing Alicia and went to prison on his own will." George explained.

"While I was in prison, the Pope promised to arrest Vharley in exchange for kidnapping Colette." Regal added. "I believed him and agreed to do it."

"So that's why you were after us." I said thoughtfully.

"Please, I ask you to postpone my final judgment until we defeat Cruxis…and stop them from using Exspheres to toy with people's lives." he said.

"Of course!" Lloyd exclaimed. "We'll work together to defeat them and restore the Giant Tree!"

"With the shackles removed I think Regal's now a much stronger ally." Fin remarked.

"Vharley was responsible for Alicia's death as well." said Presea. "Okay. I'll…try not to think of you as my enemy. I'm not sure I can change right away, but…it was Alicia's last request, so…I won't say a word about it anymore."

---

Whew! I covered a lot there, didn't I? Well guess what: I decided to split this in half. Otherwise I'd have another week I'd be spending working on this. Next Chapter both Abyssions appear together for the first time. You can only imagine what's going to happen!


	19. Chapter 19: Embrace the Dark Side!

---

Chapter 19: Embrace the Dark Side!

---

A/N: WHOO! Two Abyssions. Which one kicks more ass? We're about to find out!

---

"Wow…It's pitch black…" Colette said when we entered the Temple of Darkness.

"It seems that the power of the Summon Spirit of Darkness has a strong effect on this area." Raine remarked.

"Man, it's so dark—whoa!" Lloyd said as he fell on Zelos.

"Ow! My precious foot!" The chosen yelped.

"We can't proceed like this." said Katrin.

"Let's try the Elemental Research Laboratory." Sheena suggested. "They've supposedly done research here before, so they should know a way to light this darkness."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." Raine remarked. "Come on, everyone. Let's go back outside." We all went back outside and then went to Meltokio, keeping in mind the Papal Knights were still hunting us.

"I heard that sacred wood only grows in the area near Ozette." Kratos suddenly said to Presea outside the Research Lab. "Is that correct?"

"Y…yes…" she replied.

"Then, does that mean that sacred wood no longer exists?" he asked.

"The wood I cut is stored in the church." she replied.

"So that really is all that is left." he said thoughtfully. "It seems I have no choice..."

"What is it?" Raine asked him.

"I have an errand to run but I'll be back here by the time you've taken care of things at the Research laboratory." he said to all of us.

"It's about this Scared Wood, right?" asked Lloyd. "What do you need it for?"

"Because it is necessary." he replied flatly. "What other reason could there be?"

"Necessary for what?" Lloyd asked impatiently.

"I do not feel the need to tell you that now." he replied with a sigh. "As I said, it is a minor thing. Be patient, Lloyd." And with that he headed towards the Martel Cathedral.

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asked aloud.

"What do YOU think?" I asked him. "Anyways, let's get going." Upon arriving, Sheena explained everything to the scientists involving the Temple of Darkness.

"Ah, I see. In that case, the blue candle should be of use to you." One of them replied.

"Blue candle?" Lloyd repeated.

"It's a holy candlestick that negates the power of darkness." The Professor explained, "You have that here?"

"Relying on ancient documents, we succeeded in creating it here in our lab." The scientist replied.

"Then, could we borrow one?" Celes asked.

"Hey! It's these guys' fault that Kate was arrested!" another of the scientists suddenly exclaimed. "We can't help them!"

"But they're Sheena's friends." The first one reasoned.

"Kate? What about Kate?" Lloyd probed.

"Kate is going to be executed for harboring criminals and helping them escape." the second scientist explained.

"Lloyd! Please, let's save Kate!" Colette exclaimed.

"Lloyd…I…I want to save her, as well." said Presea.

"Yeah, but how?" he asked.

"How about participating in the matches being held at the Coliseum?" Regal suggested.

"The Coliseum?" Zelos asked him. "What for?"

"It was originally constructed to watch fights between prisoners and wild beasts." Regal explained. "There is a passage inside the prison that allows prisoners to be taken into the Coliseum."

"Oh, that's right." Zelos said dejectedly. "You were in there before…"

"Then, let's hurry up and rescue her…" Another of the scientists urged.

"Everyone, let's hurry to the arena." I said.

---

"Who is going to enter?" The receptionist asked us.

"Good question..." Katrin remarked. "There are a lot of us here."

"I'll go." I said as I approached the front desk.

"Oh, but you're the wanted—" The clerk said upon getting a good look at us.

"Don't worry about little details about that." said Lloyd.

"The registration fee is 5,000 Gald, correct?" Raine asked her.

"Yes, that's correct, but you're the wanted—" the clerk started again.

"And also…here's a small token of our appreciation." Katrin said as she dropped a huge back of Gald on the counter. "100,000 Gald. Take it."

"Ah…" she said as she pulled the money from view.

"Use the change however you like." said Raine. "Now then, shall we get going?"

"So this is how money is used…" Presea remarked.

"N…no it's not…not really." Genis replied.

"Alright everyone!" I said. "I'm going to take care of you-know-what. When I'm done I'll meet you outside the coliseum."

"Sounds good." Mom replied. "Good luck." With that, I walked into the Coliseum. The gate on the other side opened and out came a Knight wielding a Broad Sword.

"A kid?!" he exclaimed. "And a girl to boot. Man, this is going to be easy..."

"You have no idea." I replied as I began to glow. "Cast your divine light upon this corrupt soul—JUDGEMENT!" With that, the Knight was killed ten times over. Upon winning I infiltrated the Prison, where I found Kate.

"Why are you here?" Kate asked me.

"It's our fault you got arrested, so we've come to save you." I replied.

"Thank you, but…it's all right." she said.

"If some thing's up, we can talk about it after we get out of here." I said as I cut off the cell door. "Now let's hurry." I then led her outside where the others were waiting.

"Now that we've rescued her, what is he going to do?" asked Regal.

"I have a favor to ask you." said Kate. "Please take me to Ozette. That's where I was born."

"All right." Lloyd replied.

"Thank you for saving me even though I was the one that experimented on Presea." she said once we brought her to the village, now in Ruins.

"We're here because you helped us escape and you were about to be executed because of that, so we had to save you." Lloyd explained.

"Even if you know who I really am?" she asked.

"Who you really are?" Colette repeated.

"My mother was an elf." she explained. "My father is human, and…is currently the Pope of the Church of Martel."

"Your father is…the Pope?!" Sheena exclaimed.

"You're lucky you took after your mother." Zelos remarked with a grin.

"Is that all you can say?!" Genis shot back. "He tried to have his own daughter executed! That's awful!"

"But it was the Pope who ruled that all half-elves who commit crimes are to be punished by death." Zelos pointed out.

"Why did he do something like that when his own daughter is a half-elf?!" Genis exclaimed.

"Hey, hey, don't get angry with me." Zelos warned.

"I swear he'll pay for this." Genis remarked.

"W…wait…Don't do anything bad to my father." said Kate. "When my father ordered me to perform experiments to turn Exspheres into Cruxis Crystals. I was very happy. My father finally needed me…"

"I don't understand!" Genis exclaimed. "I can't understand that!"

"Genis, calm down." said Raine.

"I think I understand a little." Colette remarked. "When I thought that Remiel might be my father, I was happy that my father had finally come to see me, even though I knew that the journey would end in death."

"I'm going to think by myself for a while about my father and half-elves." Kate declared. "Thank you so much for saving me. And…Presea…"

"Yes?" she replied.

"I'm sorry." And with that she walked off into the destroyed village.

"This is…sad. Why do things wind up like this?" Colette asked.

"Two forces will always oppose each other." Regal said, stating the obvious. "Sylverant and Tethe'alla, elves and humans, heaven and earth…"

"And those in the middle are sacrificed." Raine added. "Half-elves, the Great Seed, and the Chosen as well."

"Its wrong to say that someone can be sacrificed." Lloyd replied.

"But anytime there are two people, one will be sacrificed by the establishment of superiority." said Zelos. "It's the same way with countries and worlds. Equality…is an illusion."

"Birth, status, appearance, race…you're engulfed by these things." Sheena added.

"But…everyone has the same heart." Angel said suddenly. "Everyone hurts when they're rejected. But people forget that."

"The same…heart…" Genis trailed.

"If only everyone could live thinking about each other like that…" I said.

:Little by little…people can change." Damien said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "The only thing we can do is to believe in that and start doing what we can."

"Yes, and what we can do right now is to release the Summon Spirits' mana links." Raine added. With that, we headed back to Meltokio and grabbed the blue candle.

"Now we can go to Shadow." Mark Anthony said as he looked at Damien and Aurina. ALL of us, I mean."

"What does that mean?" asked Presea.

"Damien and I can see in the dark." Aurina replied. "Our specialty IS Dark, after all."

---

"All right, let's use that Blue Candle." Lloyd said once we were back in the Temple of Darkness. It made everything bright enough for us to see. "This should do. Now we can explore this place."

"But it's…kind of…" Sheena started.

"Yeah, the feeling of the mana here…The power feels unstable compared to the previous seals." Genis remarked.

"We'll find out what's going on once we get further inside." said Lloyd. "Let's go."

"Wait." Damien said suddenly. "Who's that over there?" We looked in the direction he was pointing in time to see two figures herding five smaller figures down a catwalk deeper into the temple.

"It looks like we're not the only ones in here." said Colette. "Let's be careful." As we continued on our way we were surprised to see all the puzzles and traps had all been cleared, apparently by the pair we just saw. The way was open for us to descend further and further into the Temple of Darkness.

"This place...it feels like my energy is being suppressed..." said Celes.

"Same here." I replied.

"On the flip side, Damien and Aurina are right at home here." said Fin with a laugh.

"Let's just finish up and get out of here." said Katrin. "I hate this place." Upon reaching the very bottom, we arrived in time to see the figures we spotted earlier heard the five smaller figures into the Seal of Darkness. The five then merged into one and Shadow, the Summon Spirit of Darkness was before us.

"It took you long enough." One of the figures said. "More so after Hannah and I went well out of our way to round up those mini Shadows." When they turned, we were looking at Hannah and...Dad!

"Where have you been?" asked Mom.

"We've missed you!" Celes exclaimed. And then everyone started talking at once.

"We'll get everyone up to speed later." Hannah cut in. "But first, Sheena needs to make a Pact with Shadow."

"Since Shadow's the Summon Spirit of Darkness, the opposite of that would be the Summon Spirit of Light, right?" asked Lloyd.

"Yeah, but…why do you ask?" asked Katrin.

"Well, Luna was saying she wanted us to bring Aska, so…" I said, remembering something.

"Yes…considering the time we'll need to spend to find Aska, we should save the Summon Spirit of Light for last." Raine remarked.

" …Mithos and I…pact…" Shadow said as we approached.

"Mithos…we're doing the same thing that the legendary hero once did…" Lloyd trailed.

"I am Sheena Fujibayashi!" Sheena declared. "I ask that thou annul thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact with me."

"…Fight." Shadow said before charging us.

"He's coming!" Leon exclaimed.

"Let me try something." Katrin suddenly said. "Holy Judgement!" Several columns of light fell from above, striking Shadow several times. It still had some fight left, however.

"How did you do that?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"I'm a healer but I know some offensive spells too." she replied.

"Allow me." Kratos said as he stepped forward, sword raised. "Shining Bind!" We watched, open-mouth as a stream of light pounded Shadow into submission.

"That was...!" Zelos exclaimed.

"Nothing Kratos can't handle." I finished.

"Vow…" Shadow trailed.

"You don't waste any words, do you?" Sheena asked him. "Umm…for the sake of creating a place in which the two worlds must no longer sacrifice one another, I ask that you lend me your power."

"…Agreed." He replied before adding his power to hers in the form of the Pact Ring Amethyst

"Now all we need to do is form the pact with the Summon Spirit of Light and we can sever another mana link." Lloyd remarked. "All right, we're counting on you for the next one too, Sheena!"

"You got it!" she replied.

---

"Ah, there you are." said a new voice. Everyone turned to see Abyssion Highwind and the OTHER Abyssion entering the room. "We were starting to think the effort we all went through to open the way to Shadow was wasted there."

"Don't worry, they just made the pact." said Hannah. "That just leaves the Summon Spirit of Light."

"All goes according to plan..." Abyssion Highwind remarked. "By the way, this man claims he has business with Terra."

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed. "The Devil's Arms."

"Oh, god..." Mark Anthony said before he threw up on Zelos, who promptly screamed.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed when I saw how much bile and food matter Zelos was covered with.

"Put your head between your knees." Dad said as he walked over.

"Something the matter?" the other Abyssion asked.

"He'll be fine." said Terra. "I guess this temple finally got to him or something."

"Then please give me the Devil's Arms." he replied rather urgently. All twelve weapons were then laid before him. "Finally, everything is once again before me." I looked in surprise as the Necronomicon—the Forbidden Book of Darkness—appeared before him.

"What's he doing with that?!" asked Raine as Abyssion began to read something in the book out loud.

"What is that book?" asked Lloyd.

"The Necronomicon, also known as the Forbidden Book of Darkness contains spells said to be able to revive the dead." Said Mom as she produced her copy of the book.

"The Power...**IT OVERFLOWS!**" Abyssion said in a completely different voice. "**So THIS is the POWER of the Dark Lord, NEBILIM!**"

"You don't mean...!" Raine exclaimed.

"**That's right."** he replied. **"Nebilim has just been revived right here, right now. The Power of the Dark Lord will turn this world into Darkness that abides by the order of evil!"**

"I'll be damned if we let you get away with this!" Lloyd roared as he unsheathed his swords.

"**ALL WHO INTERERE SHALL BE CONSUMED BY DARKNESS!"** Abyssion exclaimed as he took the Devil's Arms into himself, equipping them all. **"I will show you my TRUE POWER!"**

"This is bad..." Fin trailed. "How do we stop this guy?!"

"Everyone, attack him at once!" Dad exclaimed as he, Hannah and Abyssion Highwind rushed Abyssion.

"Triangle Attack!" They said together before hitting him from all sides. Everyone was shocked when Abyssion not only blocked them all at the same time but sent them flying backwards into several pylons. Raine and Katrin ran over to check on them.

"Holy Shit!" Mark exclaimed. "Did everyone SEE THAT?!"

"**I want to thank all of you..."** Abyssion said. **"THIS is the POWER that I'VE been SEEKING! ALL THE POWER is within ME! NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO DEFY ME!"**

"It appears extreme caution will be necessary against him." Kratos noted after seeing this display of power.

"Alex, see if you can stop him with your Divine Pile Driver." I said.

"This man took a massive amount of Dark Energy into himself but I'll try." he replied. "I call upon the power of Holy Force! By the power of all that is holy and good, cast your Divine Light of Judgement upon this corrupt soul! Sinner, be Judged—Divine Pile Driver!" The blast of Holy Energy blasted Abyssion, knocking him off his feet. He was far from stopped, however.

"**FOOL!"** he said before teleporting in front of Alex and hitting him with Tiger Blade and Swallow Dance.

"Arrow Rain!" Terra said as she launched a barrage of arrows at Abyssion, who turned in time to stop every one of them.

"Cross-Thrust!" Lloyd, Zelos and Kratos said as they tried to hit him with their unison attack. Abyssion simply jumped into the air, giving the three just enough time to evade hitting each other.

"**SUFFER!"** he said before using Explosion on the three of them, taking them all out.

"Mark Anthony, come on!" I said as I unsheathed my sword.

"I follow!" he replied as he followed suit. We extended out wings and flew at Abyssion.

"Twilight Sword Dance!" we said together before we moved in and attacked him from all sides. We finished with a roundhouse slice that sent him flying.

"Do it now you three!" I said to Angel, Leon and Genis.

"You got it!" They said. "Blizzard Indignation Meteor Storm!" The bolts of Ice and Lightning struck Abyssion several times, followed by a rain of Meteors. After this attack we were sure he would be done. We were shocked beyond comprehension when he got up and advanced as if the attack never happened.

"**Behold my POWER!"** He said before casting Indignation Judgement, taking out the rest of Symphonia part of the team along with Angel, Alex, Mom, Terra, Leon and Mark Anthony.

"This guy's gotta have a weakness." I spat as I rose to my feet. "EVERYTHING DOES!"

"We outnumber him and we're getting slaughtered!" Katrin exclaimed.

"We can't afford to loose this one." Hannah said as she, Dad and Abyssion Highwind came over. "If he gets out of this temple, Tethe'alla will be ruled by the Order of Evil."

"I'm interested in seeing him stop this attack of mine." Damien remarked as he began to glow. He put his hands together and fired a huge beam of energy at Abyssion, who stopped it with his hands. "Know what true power IS!" Damien exclaimed before increasing the power of the attack, sending Abyssion flying backwards.

"**Try and block THIS!"** Abyssion said before casting Meteor Storm.

"Super Damage Guard!" I said before putting up a shield that protected me from the devastation. Everyone else wasn't so lucky and suddenly, I was the only one left standing. "Oh, crap..." I trailed as Abyssion started after me.

"**Death is inevitable!"** He said before everything went completely black.

---

When I came to, I was in the Tethe'alla Renegade Base. The last thing I remembered was getting the shit kicked out of me by Abyssion. I looked and saw everyone else was there, too. "Damn it...that guy was powerful..." Fin spat.

"Wait—where are we?!" I heard Katrin exclaim.

"Good to see you're all ok." Yuan said as he came into the room. "When the skies over the southern part of this world darkened, I feared the worst."

"What happened?" Raine asked him.

"After you were defeated by Abyssion, he left the temple and headed for the Tower of Salvation." Yuan explained. "He went to Derris-Kharlan intending to add the power of the Great Seed to his own. He took down over a thousand Angels before Yggdrassil subdued him. He's now being held in suspended animation in Welgaia."

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"I asked Botta to follow us to the Shadow Temple after we took care of Rodyle." said Hannah. "I can see now that in doing that, we survived that encounter."

"Just what is is Nebilim?" asked Lloyd. "And why did Abyssion want his power?"

"Nebilim was a Dark God who ruled Tethe'alla for 10,000 years." Yuan explained. "It's believed the Goddess Martel herself stepped in and sealed his power inside the 12 Devil's Arms. Only a member of his bloodline can actually call upon his power. Abyssion simply used you to get them all very quickly and I believe all you saw the end result firsthand."

"You have no idea..." I trailed. "Not even Dad could stop him..."

"There are only two weapons that can defeat him." said Dad. "The Eternal Sword or the Trinity Blade, with their everlasting powers."

"Yeah, but you sealed them inside the Tower of Salvation." Hannah reminded him.

"Well, if Abyssion is detained in Welgaia, I believe it's safe to assume he's no longer a threat." said Raine. "We need to investigate the final Summon Spirit, after all."

"She's got a point there." Sheena remarked. "We can deal with Abyssion later."

"Speaking of an Abyssion..." Celes trailed, looking at the one that was with us.

"Don't get the wrong idea." he said as he rose. "I'm grateful you took care of Damien and Aurina but I have other...obligations to consider. Come, children."

"Oh, come on!" Dad exclaimed. "Will you just drop the act and be out with it? I know you know I can get our other swords at any time!"

"Besides, it's only a matter of time before Yggdrassil finds you out." Hannah added.

"..." was his reaction.

"Hey, listen." Dad pressed. "If you join us, then I would owe YOU. I know you've been getting tired of owning me for one thing or another."

"Consider that debt paid in full," Abyssion finally replied. "In case you didn't know, I was the one who rescued Katrin's family. Of course, I was long gone before they or Katrin even knew I was there."

"Well, if you want your other sword again you don't really have any other choice." Hannah remarked. "Ted can remove the barrier at any time. Right now, the fastest way to get it is to team up with us."

"Is that right?" he asked.

"I wouldn't let her say what she just said unless it was true." Dad replied. "That, and considering your kids haven't made any sort of attempt to betray my family, I trust you."

"As the saying goes, keep your friends and your enemies closer." Abyssion remarked. "Alright, you win. I will add my strength to yours. Besides, there's a certain madman on Welgaia that I owe some payback to. As much as pains me to say it, I can't beat him alone."

"Consider it done." Dad said as he shook his hand.

---

End Chapter 19. Yeah, I bet you didn't see everyone getting owned by Abyssion there, huh? Of course, he'll make another appearance or two but it's not for a few chapters, heh. Of course you might also be wondering why Kratos wanted the Scared Wood when he's traveling WITH the group. It'll make sense later on.


	20. Chapter 20: The Light of the Heavens

---

Chapter 20: The Light of the Heavens

---

A/N: The final pact is made and something...unexpected will happen. What is it? You'll find out soon.

---

After we recovered, we followed a map Yuan gave us to an area in Sylverant accessible only if a Reihard is used. "It seems this is the Linkite Tree that Professor Nova's family talked about." Said Raine once we arrived.

"It's dead." Lloyd said after examining it.

"I have the notes from Professor Nova." I said as I opened my backpack. After a few minutes of reading, we all had an idea of what needed to be done.

"First we need to revive the Linkite Tree and carry the sound on the wind." Said Lloyd. "As for the wind to carry the sound…"

"Leave it to me!" Sheena exclaimed. "We have Sylph, the Summon Spirit of Wind, on our side!"

"How are we going to revive the Linkite Tree?" asked Genis.

"We have the Linkite Nut we received from that child." Raine remarked. "If we accelerate its growth with an Exsphere and strengthen my healing arts with the Unicorn Horn, then maybe we can manage something… We may need the power of the Summon Spirit of Earth as well, since we need to nourish the ground."

"The Summon Spirit of Earth is my job." Sheena remarked. "Just leave it to me! What about the Exsphere?"

"Not a problem--we've got one." I replied.

"Then the only thing left is the melody." said Leon. "I wonder if it will make a pretty sound…"

"That's the one thing we don't know…" Katrin remarked.

"No problem." Said Lloyd. "I can't do anything with this little nut, but as long as the revived Linkite Tree has big nuts on it, I can make a flute. We just need one like the one Martel had, right?"

"Lloyd, You can make that?!" Genis exclaimed.

"I'll show you the skills my dad taught me!" Lloyd beamed. "And we have Presea, too!"

"Yes, I will help." Presea confirmed.

"Okay, then let's get to work!" Zelos cheered.

"Professor, Sheena, are you ready?" Celes asked.

"Yes, I'm ready." Raine replied.

"Yeah, anytime." the Ninja replied as Lloyd placed the Linkite Nut at the base of the tree.

"Okay, Professor, Sheena...Go for it!" I said.

"Here I go!" Sheena exclaimed. "I call upon the servant of Mother Earth!"

"What is it?" Gnome asked as he stood before us.

"Gnome! Please make this ground healthy again!" she said.

"Hmm…okay." Gnome said before doing so. After that he disappeared.

"Okay, Raine.: Sheena signaled.

"Unicorn Horn…lend me your power!" Raine said as she raised her staff. "Resurrection!" We all watched in amazement as the tree was reborn.

"Whoa! Raine, you're fantastic!" Zelos cheered.

"Lloyd, Presea, the rest is up to you." The Professor said.

"Yeah…these should do." Lloyd said after picking some Linkite Nuts. "It'll take about one night, so just wait for a little bit."

"Understood." Genis replied.

---

"In the meantime, why don't we get in some training?" Fin suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea." Kratos remarked. "We should ready ourselves for the unexpected."

"Everyone except Lloyd, Presea, Raine and Katrin find someone to spar with." said Mom.

"I pick Dad!" Me and Mark Anthony said at the same time.

"..." was his reaction. "Fine, you can both practice against me." he said.

"Angel, I want you to practice with me." said Genis.

"How come?" she asked.

"Well, you are the best Spellcaster between you, me and Leon." he replied with a grin. "That, and I was hoping you could teach me some new spells."

"Not a problem." she said with a smile.

"Looks like I get you, Kratos." said Zelos with a snicker.

"I hope you can keep up." The Swordsman replied as he unfurled his wings and flew into the air.

"Hey, no fair!" Zelos exclaimed as he gave chase.

"Why can't I train with someone?" Katrin asked dad.

"Isn't it obvious?" he replied. "You and Raine are our only healers and we plan to push ourselves to our limits. Isn't that right, Celes and Mark Anthony?"

"That's the plan." Mark confirmed and then added, "In the desert."

"How exciting." Hannah said as she walked over. "Too bad you're already taken by two but oh, well. I guess I'll find out if Damien or Aurina wants to spar—I've been meaning to practice against Lance users more often."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Lance users have a natural advantage over swordsmen." she replied. "Swordsmen have a natural advantage over Axe Fighters and Axe Fighters have a natural advantage over Lance users. You can think of it as sort of a triangle."

"Fascinating." I remarked, clearly impressed with this knowledge.

"Come, let's go." Dad said as he unfolded his wings. Mark and I following suit. We flew and then landed near the Triet Ruins. "Which of you will go first?" he asked as he unsheathed his sword, the Nautilus.

"I'll go." I said as I unsheathed my sword. "Ladies first!"

"Be my guest." said Mark Anthony as he moved to the side.

"Alright, now hit me with your best shot." said Dad. Almost instantly I was upon him, sword raised. I brought it down hard in a vertical slice but he parried it just in time. He then pushed me into the air but I turned and reversed direction, bringing my sword down once more. Dad moved out of the way and I landed on my feet, throwing myself at him almost immediately.

"Guardian!" He said before my sword could connect with his chest. As soon as the barrier faded I swung my sword in a full circle, making him jump to dodge and that's where I made him pay.

"Victory Light Spear!" I said as I caught him mid-air and struck him several times. Afterwards, he fell to the ground in a heap. "And now to finish it." I said. Before launching a Demon Fang at him. He jumped to his feet and knocked it carelessly aside as if it were nothing.

"Don't tell me you thought it would be that easy." He said as he began to glow. Then I recognized the aura. "Sacred Powers, cast your purifying light upon this corrupt soul!"

"Crap..." I trailed.

"Rest in peace, sinner! Judgement!" he finished. In the next moment I was getting hit by many beams of light. Then I remembered I had a defense against this kind of attack. The problem was I couldn't remember the exact incantation.

"Thy faithful asketh for thy blessing." I began. "Honor us with your special...whoops, I messed up!" Suddenly, a ray of energy flew outward, protecting me from harm while at the same time, Dad and Mark Anthony were dodging beams of light. "Wha?" I managed to say.

"Damn it, Celes!" Mark spat. "That was Holy Judgement!"

"I know that." I said. "I meant to use Holy Song but oh, well."

"It pays to be ready for anything." Dad noted. "Let's see you handle this—Hydro Cannon!" As soon as the columns of water arose I activated the power of my Cruxis Crystal, using Super Damage Guard to protect myself.

"Whoa..." Mark trailed. "Even I wouldn't have been able to block THAT!"

"I've got one more surprise." said Dad as he began to glow again. I turned around and saw Leviathan coming after me. It opened its mouth and fired a beam of energy.

"Lunar Eclipse!" I said, tapping into the power of my sword. My abilities were greatly boosted, allowing me to easily evade the powerful attack. I jumped into the air and brought the sword down hard, piercing Leviathan's head. "Thunder Blade!" The blast of electric energy downed Dad's summon almost instantly. Dad and Mark could only stare, open-mouthed.

"Impressed?" I asked them.

"You have no idea." Mark finally said.

---

"We're ready." Lloyd said the next day back at the Linkite Tree. "Time for the last step! Genis! Sheena!"

"You got it!" They said together. Genis then played the new Ocarina while Sheena held up the Exsphere. We then watched in surprise descended before us.

"Who calls me?" It demanded.

"Aska, we need your power!" Sheena exclaimed. "Please form a pact with me!"

"Pact…where is Luna?" it asked.

"We haven't made a pact with Luna yet, but we need you." Zelos replied.

"I do not want to form a pact…unless Luna is with me." Aska declared.

"Then, let's form a pact with Luna." Sheena suggested.

"Then I shall go to Luna." Aska announced. "Farewell…" With that, Aska flew away.

"Sheena, was that okay?" Luna asked her.

"He said he'll make a pact." said Sheena. "There's no reason to do it right now, right?"

"Luna and Aska are both Summon Spirits of Light." I noted. "If Luna is performing the role as the mana link, then there is no need to attempt to force a pact with Aska here."

"The only thing left is to go to Luna and officially make the pact." said Celes.

"We'll be tested by both of them at the same time." Raine noted. "I guess it's unavoidable…"

"Well, whatever will be, will be." said Zelos with a smile. With that, we got on the Reihards and headed for the Tower of Mana. I had to admit it was a little weird knowing Kratos, the one would try to stop us normally was with us and so far had no objections.

"Hey, Angel?" Lloyd asked as as climbed the stairs.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Can't you use your Quick Jump Spell to get us to the top of the tower?" he asked.

"Quick...Jump?" Regal asked.

"It's a special ability she can use to get us past places we went through already so we don't have to do it again." Fin explained. "I'm surprised you didn't...oh, right. We didn't use it most of the time we were in Tethe'alla."

"So, can you?" Lloyd pressed. "We've already been through this tower, after all."

"Of course I can." she replied. "But seeing as we're almost to the top it's kind of a waste now. Besides, it IS good exercise. Man up, Lloyd!"

"Wha?!" He exclaimed in shock.

"I'm going to second that one." Sheena remarked with a laugh. "All the puzzles have been solved already, after all." Lloyd then gained the "Man Up!" Title. When we reached the transporter to the seal, I paused for a moment to see if anyone would try to stop us. When no one came then I knew we would be unopposed.

"Wait." Kratos said suddenly.

"What is it?" asked Zelos.

"The Derris-Kharlan core system just finished calculating its answer." he replied. "If you form the pact with the Summon Spirit, the protection around the Great Seed will be completely lost!"

"And that's exactly what we desire!" Yuan said as he rushed over to us, clearly flushed.

"Don't tell me you ran all the way up here...?" Raine asked him.

"Yes, and I'm certainly glad I did." he replied as he tried to catch his breath.

"Don't you understand?" Kratos asked him. "What you're hoping for will not happen!"

"Do you think we'll pass up this opportunity?" Yuan asked him. "If you're thinking what I think you are, then this would be the third time you betray Lloyd's trust."

"Third...time?" Lloyd asked.

"I see that once again you're keeping things from your son...or does he no longer mean anything to you?" Yuan asked.

"..." was the Swordsman's reply.

"Lloyd, leave him to me!" Yuan roared. "Go, now! Form the pact with the Summon Spirit of Light!"

"But I..." he started.

"We'll talk about it later!" Yuan cut in. "Just go!" Immediately, we did as we were told.

"We're counting on you, Sheena." Colette said as we stood before the final seal.

"You got it!" she said as she turned her attention to the seal. Right them, Luna appeared before us. "I am Sheena Fujibayashi! I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me."

"Where is Aska?" Luna asked us.

"He'll come. He promised." Sheena replied.

"I see…Then all is well." Luna said with a sense of relief. "I shall test thy worthiness to wieldst my power." Right after saying that, Aska descended from the skies and then it was on.

"This is where the Powers of Darkness are put to use." Abyssion remarked.

"What?" asked Lloyd.

"Don't you remember, Lloyd?" Genis asked. "Abyssion, Damien and Aurina specialize in the Dark Element. Darkness is Light's opposite!"

"Oh, yeah..." he trailed. "I guess I forgot."

"Get Over Here!" Damien said as he fired a spear head at Aska. It missed Aska entirely but snared Luna, whom he pulled toward him.

"Dark Lance!" Leon said before casting the Dark Version of Holy Lance, which struck Luna several times.

"I didn't know you knew Dark spells." Angel said to him.

"There's a lot of things about me that you don't know, Angel." he replied with a smirk before returning his attention to the current battle.

"Just as we practiced, Leon!" Aurina exclaimed.

"Got it!" he exclaimed as he he began to cast another spell.

"Night Slash!" The they said together before launching their Unison Attack. Aurina swung her Scythe in a full circle while the Dark Twister Leon created pulled Luna and Aska together.

"Dark Judgement!" Damien said before Luna and Aska were finished off with beams of dark energy. I had to admit even I was impressed.

"Thou art powerful." said Luna. "Now state thy vow upon which thou wilt base our pact."

"I vow to germinate the Great Seed in order to realize the true regeneration of both worlds." Sheena declared.

"We accept thy vow." Luna replied. "Our power is thine." The two disappeared and Sheena accepted the Topaz Pact Ring. Right after that, Kratos and Yuan burst onto the scene.

"You did it!" Yuan exclaimed happily.

"No!" Kratos exclaimed in horror.

---

"What is it?" Dad asked him. "When the ground began to move we realized something was VERY wrong.

"Look at that!" Hannah exclaimed. We looked and saw the Giant Kharlan tree sprout from the ground and completely destroyed the city of Palmacosta. As tree continued to grow, we spotted a sleeping figure in the center of the tree.

"That at least proves Martel Yggdrassil really died." I heard Mark Anthony say.

"We need to get off this tower." said Abyssion. "Now, preferably."

"Saphira!" Hannah said as she summoned her Dragon. A moment, later the crystalline dragon landed nearby and we got on, barely escaping before the Tower of Mana began to collapse. We landed near Iselia.

"What's happening?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"It that…the Giant Kharlan Tree?" Genis asked.

"That person…I feel like I've met her somewhere before..." I said.

"…Martel!" said Yuan.

"That woman about to be consumed by the tree is Martel?!" Raine exclaimed.

"She reminds me of someone." I said. "She reminds me of…"

"Why would Martel reappear with that giant, grotesque tree?" Zelos demanded.

"I was afraid this would happen…" Kratos trailed. Everyone looked at him. "Having lost the stability afforded by the protection of the Summon Spirits, the Great Seed has gone out of control."

"No! The purpose of the Summon Spirits was to isolate the Great Seed from the outside world and prevent it from growing!" Yuan countered.

"That was only half of it." Kratos replied. "The two worlds were forced out of phase by Yggdrassil. They should have drifted apart from each other and have been consumed by the void, but this was prevented from happening because the Great Seed was placed in the center between the two worlds."

"I don't need a lecture from you to know that!" The Renegade Leader shot back.

"The Great Seed is constantly being pulled upon from both worlds as they try to separate from one another." Kratos continued. "It's a miracle that this delicate balance held up for even this long."

"Wait--so the mana links served as a cage to contain the Great Seed in the space between the two worlds?" Yuan asked him. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly." Kratos replied. "And because you provided the unstable Great Seed with mana, germinated in a twisted form and has gone out of control. It's even engulfed Martel."

"Who cares why this happened!" Lloyd refuted. "I wanna know what's gonna happen if we can't stop this thing!"

"If what Kratos says is true, then Sylverant will be consumed and destroyed by the Great Seed." said Dad. "And if Sylverant is destroyed, Tethe'alla will be destroyed as well, as it is linked by the Holy Ground of Kharlan and the Otherworldly Gate."

"Then…everyone will die." Presea finished.

"Everyone except that twisted tree and the angels that live on Derris-Kharlan." Kratos corrected.

"We have to do something!" Genis exclaimed.

"But what can we do?" asked Sheena.

"Yuan, how do you plan to rectify this situation?" Regal asked.

"We can cut off the mana flow and stop the seed from receiving any more mana." he replied.

"But that won't subdue the Giant Tree." Kratos pointed out. "The process has already begun."

"Is the Giant Tree going crazy like that in Tethe'alla, too?" Zelos asked.

"Highly unlikely." he replied. "Although I imagine they are feeling some effects, such as earthquakes."

"That makes sense." Raine remarked. "Because Colette activated the process of world regeneration, the Summon Spirits of Sylverant are now active. Therefore, the Giant Tree was drawn over here by Sylverant's Summon Spirits."

"The Summon Spirits exchange their respective roles of yin and yang each time a Chosen's quest for world regeneration succeeds." Kratos explained. "Currently, the Summon Spirits of Sylverant are carrying out the role of yang by providing the mana. But because the Giant Tree has over-absorbed Sylverant's mana, it has gone out of control."

"If that's the case, couldn't we neutralize it by blasting it with the power of the opposing Summon Spirits?" Lloyd asked.

"Whoa, Lloyd!!" I Mark exclaimed. "You actually understood what we were talking about?"

"The Professor once said that the negative and positive of a magnet neutralize each other." Lloyd explained. "This is kind of the same thing, right?"

"That's not quite right, Lloyd, but nonetheless it's a clever idea coming from you." Raine cut in.

"Even if we did decide to try and set the Summon Spirits of Tethe'alla against it, how are we gonna go about doing that?" Sheena asked, knowing she would likely have to be in harm's way. "We can't get close to that crazy thing the way it is now."

"The Mana Cannon." Yuan replied.

"Mana Cannon? That machine Rodyle was building?" Presea asked.

"We were actually manipulating Rodyle into building that." Yuan said with a grin. "Before the mana links started to disappear, we planned to have Rodyle destroy the Tower of Salvation."

"So you're suggesting we feed the mana of Tethe'alla's Summon Spirits into the Mana Cannon and fire it at the Giant Tree. Kratos confirmed. "Hmm…I suppose there's no better option right now."

"First, we need to shut off the current flow of mana to the tree." said Katrin. "It'll be too late if the tree grows any larger."

"Then here's the plan." said Kratos. "Yuan, I'm going to pretend I don't know who you've been working with or what you've been doing. In exchange, you're going to order the Renegades to stop firing mana at the tree immediately. Meanwhile, Lloyd's group will head for the Mana Cannon."

"All right." Yuan said with a nod. At this point, Botta and a few Renegades came over to us.

"It's not possible, sir!" Botta exclaimed. "Forcystus has executed our Iselia ranch infiltration team!"

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asked him.

"The Iselia ranch is still operational." Yuan replied. "We had people working undercover switch over the mana flow."

"In other words, we have to infiltrate the place right now and stop the flow." Zelos guessed.

"Then I shall go." said Kratos.

"Your little display back there has me thinking otherwise." said Yuan. "I'll send some of my men instead."

"Preparations for the Mana Cannon, the shutdown of the mana reactors throughout the world—there are too many things we need the Renegades to do." said Hannah. "You don't have enough troops to do everything."

"I'll go." said Lloyd.

"What are you saying?!" Sheena exclaimed "We have to head for the Mana Cannon!"

"You and the Renegades can take care of the Mana Cannon." Lloyd explained. "Kratos and the rest of us will infiltrate the Iselia ranch. Fire the Mana Cannon when we give you the word. You wouldn't be able to trust the signal if it came from Kratos alone, right?"

"Well, that's true, but…" Sheena trailed.

"Is it about Chocolat?" Kratos suddenly asked. I admit I was surprised myself Kratos remembered her.

"That's right--Chocolat is held at the Iselia ranch." said Colette. "Lloyd, you remembered your promise."

"All right, we'll leave it to you then." said Yuan. "Don't let us down."

"Let's go, guys!" Lloyd said as he turned toward Iselia Forest. He stopped when he realized most of us didn't follow.

"We'll wait for you in Iselia." Said Dad. "It'll be too obvious if we all go."

"What?" he asked.

"Have you forgotten. Lloyd?" Raine asked him. "Mark Anthony and Celes' Group aren't from Sylverant or Tethe'alla."

"And unlike Magnius and Kvar, Forcystus' loyalty lies in Yggdrassil alone." Yuan remarked. "Considering Abyssion, Ted and Hannah are high-ranking members of Cruxis to boot, it would pose a problem if they all went to the ranch."

"In other words, we don't want our cover blown just yet." said Hannah. "We've no intention of Mithos being on to us after all his time."

"This would be the first time you guys wouldn't be there to help us out." Zelos remarked. "And we've come to rely on you all so much."

"Whoa, whoa, we're not all leaving you." Mark said with a grin.

"Myself, Mark, Aurina and Fin are going with you." I said. "A sort of support, for lack of a better term."

"That and we've got our reasons for going to the Ranch." said Fin.

"That's news to me." Said Dad. "And just what are these reasons?"

"Sorry but that''s our secret." I said with a laugh.

---

End Chapter 20. No doubt you're wondering what the heck is going on. Things will come together soon enough.


	21. Chapter 21: Another Plot Twist

---

Chapter 21: Another Plot Twist

---

"Why are you coming along?" Kratos asked me.

"Because we have something to look into." I replied. "Celes, Aurina and I want to confirm something."

"Is it about Colette's condition?" he asked. I looked at him in surprise. My expression must've given me away, because he smiled. "Hannah has the items for Colette required to make a Rune Crest. She could've made one for Colette a long time ago."

"Yes, but if she did that we probably wouldn't have been able to get to where we are now." I replied.

"How are we going to get in?" Genis asked as we stood before the ranch. "The gate's closed."

"I'll jump down inside from the cliff and open the door." said Lloyd.

"No, let me go." said Kratos. "I can simply fly over a gate like this." He unfolded his wings and flew over the gate, opening it from the inside. As we walked inside we heard a commotion coming from the forest.

"What that?" asked Lloyd. We looked back in time to see Cruxis Angels fast approaching us.

"What the hell?!" Celes exclaimed.

"You guys go ahead!" I exclaimed. "Celes and I will hold them here!"

"Are you sure?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Yes, now go!"

"I had no idea you kids were in such a rush to die." we heard a familiar voice say. "You may have gotten the best of me in the Tower of Salvation but this time, you're mine." Everyone looked, shocked beyond all comprehension to see Remiel leading the Angels to battle.

"No way!" Genis exclaimed. "You're supposed to be--"

"Dead?" Remiel finished, an evil grin crossing his face. "I told you before. I am the ultimate power and cannot be beaten so easily. Allow me to pay you back in full for before."

"I killed you once." said Celes as she unsheathed her sword. "I've no doubt I can do it again!"

"Stand aside, Celes!" Another voice said. Remiel barely dodged a Dark Lance from Damien, who appeared with Abyssion. "Leave this one to me."

"You would dare stand again me?" Remiel asked as he looked at Abyssion. "Between you, Ted and Hannah, I had no reason to believe you would dare betray Lord Yggdrassil. I can see now the error of such a belief."

"You have no idea how right that is." Abyssion replied as he began to glow. "Meggido Abysdos!" A large, black portal appeared in the sky and pulled all the Angels into it, Remiel included. After that, the portal closed.

"Whoa!" Zelos exclaimed. "Remind me to not piss you off!"

"They'll be back." Abyssion said. "I just sent them to Tethe'alla. The rest of you go inside. Damien and I will take care of them!"

"Understood!" I said before we ran inside.

---

"This is the mana reactor." I said when we were deep inside the ranch.

"Can't we just destroy the ranch?" asked Genis.

"If we're going to do that, we have to rescue the captives." said Colette.

"We don't have time this time around." said Raine. "Let's destroy or stop just the mana reactor while rescuing Chocolat and the others."

"Where are the captives held?" asked Regal.

"Around here, I think." Zelos replied as we studied the Ranch's floor plans.

"That's on the way to the mana reactor." Lloyd noted. "We may be able to rescue them at the same time."

"There is insufficient time." said Presea. "It would be a seventy percent loss."

"It's the same as in Kvar's ranch." said Kratos. "We will have to divide into teams."

"What should we do, Lloyd?" I asked.

"I'll go to the mana reactor." he replied. "Chocolat hates me, anyway."

"Okay, then, pick the members for your team, Lloyd." said Genis.

"Kratos, Raine, Celes, Fin and Zelos." he replied.

"That means the rest of us will take care of the captives." Said Mark Anthony. "We should stay together until we've released the hostages, though." We continued on our way and soon made it to the prison area in time to see some rioting.

"Chosen One!" Chocolat exclaimed when she saw us.

"Chocolat!" Lloyd exclaimed in same fashion.

"Don't move!" One of the Desians shouted. "So you're the intruders!"

"The host bodies made a break for it when they heard you were here!" Another said. "You'll pay for this!" They then ganged up on Celes and Colette, punching and kicking them.

"Aqua Edge!" a new voice said. We looked and saw them get hit from behind with a water spell. When they fell over, we saw that it was Leon.

"Fire Storm!" Angel said as she took out the reinforcements that opened the door behind us.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Fin.

"We thought you might need some help." said Katrin as she came into the room. "Abyssion gave us a call. We'll make sure the Prisoners get out ok."

"Thank you so much! One of the prisoners exclaimed.

"Thank you." said Chocolat.

"Are there any others here?" asked Lloyd.

"We already freed the people in the other rooms." Angel remarked.

"I…" Chocolat began.

"If you don't want to be saved by me, just consider yourself rescued by the Chosen." said Lloyd. "Now hurry and go!"

"Good luck from here." Said Mark Anthony. "The rest is up to you guys."

"You already know the outcome so relax." I replied before going with Lloyd group further into the Human Ranch. After opening some security doors we tracked down Forcystus and the Mana Reactor at the same time.

"That's as far as you go." He said as he stood before the reactor.

"You're…Forcystus!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Well, well, so you remember me." Forcystus remarked. "It looks like it was a mistake to have let you live. I guess I'll have to take care of you personally."

"Look, I don't have anything against you personally, but you're dead unless you move out of the way, capisce?" said Zelos.

"Do you realize what you're doing?" he asked Zelos. "You've sealed your fate."

"My fate isn't gonna mean squat if the world is destroyed." Zelos replied. "And besides, you half-elves aren't exactly gonna be able to live without the world either, now are you?"

"So you're Forcystus." Kratos remarked. "If death is what you seek, you shall have it."

"Tough talk from a human." Forcystus rebutted. "You're the one who's going to die, along with this tainted world."

"Even if the world is lost, you can escape to Derris-Kharlan." said Kratos. "Is that what you're thinking? How naive."

"What did you say?!" Forcystus exclaimed.

"Desians are nothing but expendable pawns to Yggdrassil." Kratos explained. "He'd never bother to save you."

"How dare you speak ill of Lord Yggdrassil!" Forcystus roared. "We have Derris-Kharlan! It is a world of mana, the very source of life! The destruction of this tainted world is of no concern to us."

"What twisted logic… Is this Cruxis' idea?" Raine asked.

"Lord Yggdrassil's orders are absolute." he replied.

"Are you saying that's really what your boss Yggdrassil wants?" Zelos asked.

"Of all people, you question me?" Forcystus asked him. "Haha…how amusing. It is indeed Lord Yggdrassil's direct order that the Great Seed be left as is."

"The Great Seed is invaluable to Yggdrassil." said Kratos. "If you stand in our way, the great Seed will die and you will be held responsible."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Forcystus said with a laugh. "I am under direct orders from Lord Yggdrassil himself."

"Because Martel is fused with the Great Seed…are you saying that fool would go this far just to protect her?" Kratos asked him.

"You speak as if you know him." The Half-Elf noted. "Who are you?"

"There's no reason for us to play along with his stall tactic." said Raine. "We must hurry."

"Ugh, your babbling is driving me nuts!" Zelos spat. "Let's just ignore this idiot. We don't have the time to be dealing with the Desian's victim complex."

"Lloyd, we've no time!" said Kratos. "We'll have to use force!"

"I know!" Lloyd shot back.

"You will not get past me!" The Desian roared.

"What about through you?"Another voice said. We looked in shock as Hannah descended from above and thrust her sword into his chest, piercing his heart. No one was more surprised than Forcystus himself.

"Ugh…impossible…" with that, he fell into the reactor.

"Now we can stop the mana reactor." I said. "Good timing as always, Hannah."

"I don't have a clue what any of this stuff does..." Lloyd said as he looked over the Control Panel for the reactor.

"I'll handle this." Kratos said as he walked over to it. After a moment the Reactor began to shut down.

"You sure are handy with everything—swordsmanship, magic, even operating machines." Lloyd remarked.

"I've lived a little longer than most humans." Kratos replied.

"Try 4,000 years." I remarked with a laugh.

"Focus on what's important." said Kratos. "We must stop the Giant Tree." We then took our leave of the ranch. We met up with everyone else just outside.

"Good to see you're alright." Said Katrin.

"Yeah, All we need to do now is contact Sheena and..." Lloyd started.

"You will do no such thing." We heard Forcystus say. "I am one of the Five Grand Cardinals…I won't die so easily! I'm taking all of you inferior beings with me!"

"So this is how the great Desian hero, Forcystus, meets his end." Kratos remarked. "I'm disappointed."

"I see…I get it now." said Forcystus. "I wondered how a mere human could exude the smell of mana. You're Kratos…"

"What of it?" he asked.

"Lord Yggdrassil trusted you, yet in the end, you betray us!" The Desian exclaimed. "This is why humans can never be trusted!" He aimed his arm cannon at Chocolat but Colette threw herself in its path, taking the hit. Of course, this made Lloyd very mad.

"You bastard!" he spat before running his sword through the Desian 'Hero', finishing him.

"Lord Yggdrassil, glory to the new Age of Half-elves!!" Forcystus said before finally breathing his last.

"Colette, are you okay?!" Zelos asked. That's when we noticed her left arm was crystallized.

"What's th—" Lloyd started.

"No…don't look!" Colette screamed as she held her arm. "Don't look at me!"

"Lloyd, send the message, quickly!" said Kratos.

"But Colette…" he began.

"The Chosen won't die yet but if you don't hurry, this world will!" he said. "Now do it." Lloyd reluctantly walked over to the radio and transmitted the go-ahead to Sheena. A few moments later, we watched a beam of energy fly from the Mana Cannon and strike the Giant tree, destroying it. An eerie scream followed the tree's destruction.

"What was that cry?" asked Genis.

"Martel, I would assume." said Kratos. "The out-of-control Great Seed is Martel herself."

"I wonder…" Mark trailed.

"The Great Seed is once again bound in the Holy Ground of Kharlan." Yuan said through the communicator. "For that, I owe you my gratitude. Thank you. It seems that you have managed to save the Great Seed as well as this world."

"If the Great Seed is intact then I presume Martel, who's fused with it, is safe as well?" Celes asked.

"I'm sure that's good news for you." he replied. "I wish I could say the same for me."

"Colette, it looks like things have settled down." said Lloyd.

"It's gross, isn't it?" she asked him. "It's disgusting, isn't it? It's… It's…"

"It's not at all." Lloyd reassured her. "With help from Hannah we can cure you."

"Stay away!" she said as she took a step back. "Don't look at me!" Overcome with grief, she collapsed on the spot.

"It's okay." said Raine. "She just fainted. Let's take her back to the village."

"To Iselia?" Genis asked in surprise. "But Lloyd and I were banished!"

"Colette's home is in Iselia." Raine explained. "Besides, we can't just leave behind the people who were held at the ranch."

"All right." Lloyd caved. "Let's…go to Iselia."

"Then I'll notify Sheena to meet you at Iselia." said Yuan. "Farewell for now."

---

At this point everything went black. when I came to, I was back in my room. "What the hell?" I said when I realized I really was back in the real world. Then I saw what was on the TV Screen: "Please Insert Disc 2".

"Interesting..." said Celes as she came into the room. "It looks like everything's over."

"No, just the first disc." I replied with a laugh. "The rest of the story is on Disc 2. The question is: Do you want to see the whole thing through?"

"Of course we do!" Hannah said as she came in. "I want to know what happens next. That and it's kinda nice being able to explore the worlds of Sylverant and Tethe'alla."

"Perhaps after this we should go into another Tales Game." Dad suggested as he picked up Tales of Phantasia and Tales of the Abyss off the floor. "Their epic stories alone are enticing."

"Let's just finish the one we started already." Abyssion said as he entered the room through the window. "As I said already, I owe someone some payback. I want to see that he gets it."

"That and our swords are still in the game..." Dad noticed. "Looks like we are indeed a part of the game. We'll have to go through the rest of the game to get our swords again."

"But those were the swords we used to enter the game." I said as I replaced Disc 1 with Disc 2. "How can we get in?" I ended having my own question answered for me as everything faded into black.

"Celes, Katrin I'm here!" I heard Celes' friend Jenna say. "We are you two?"

"Come to Mark's Room!" Katrin said before we were pulled back into the game.

---

"I see, so the angels of Cruxis were really half-elves…" I heard Colette's grandmother say. It seems I re-appeared in Colette's house.

"Please don't tell anyone about this." said Lloyd. "We don't want to start a panic."

"Indeed. Especially now that the Tower of Salvation is gone, I wouldn't dare tell people the truth." she replied.

The Tower of Salvation…is gone?" Genis asked.

"After that frightening earthquake, the tower disappeared from the eastern sky…along with that monstrosity." Phaidra explained.

"How could it disappear?" Lloyd asked Kratos.

"I don't know." he replied. "The Chosen never completed the ritual of regeneration. The Cruxis core system, which controls the appearance of the tower, may have malfunctioned. It is of little consequence."

"No, it's not." Raine cut in. "It's a tremendous shock to the people of Sylverant. After a giant earthquake sunders the land, the symbol of salvation vanishes. The Chosen will be held responsible."

"Why?" asked Zelos. "Lots of other Chosen have failed up till now, too."

"The others have paid for their failure with their lives." said Phaidra. "But Colette is still alive…"

"When people are suffering, they feel the need to place the blame on someone…" Regal noted.

"It is not fair to Colette." said Presea, stating the obvious.

"I'm gonna go see what's going on in the village." said Lloyd.

"I'll go too." said Mark Anthony as he came down the stairs.

"Let's all go together, then." Zelos suggested. "It sounds like it's a bit sketchy for you to be walking around by yourself."

"I'll…stay here." said Kratos. "Go on." We went outside and walked towards the school. There seemed to be a commotion going on there.

"This is an outrage!" the Mayor exclaimed. "Those who were banished returning without permission, the Chosen failed atrociously--it's the end of the world!"

"Well, he certainly hasn't changed." Genis remarked.

"And on top of all that, people we thought were elves are actually half-elves?!" the Mayor exclaimed. "I bet you were the ones that led the Desians here to attack this village!"

"What did you say?" Angel asked in surprise.

"Mayor, he's only a child!" one of the villagers exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter if he's a child." the Mayor replied and then added with disgust. "He's a half-elf!"

"I've heard enough from you now listen!" Mark said as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the Mayor's throat. "It's true that the Professor and Genis are half-elves but so what?! There are good half-elves just as there are bad humans!"

"What does a kid know?" he asked. "You 're not even from this world! It's no wonder you caused the Chosen to fail her journey! And you even brought a bunch of dirty prisoners back here! It's intolerable how much pain you've caused the good humans of this village."

"..." was the reaction of everyone else while staring at him.

"That's enough!" Chocolat snapped. "You're just complaining about everything! Does any part of you besides your mouth even work?!"

"Chocolat…" Lloyd said in surprise.

""Yeah, you tell him!" Zelos cheered. "I've had all I can handle from this chump."

"You criticize and attack people for their birth and upbringing—things they cannot change." said Presea. "It is you who are not human."

"We have an arrangement with the Desians!" he refuted. "I have a duty to protect this village. Isn't that right?" Again, silence. Someone say something!"

"Genis is the smartest person in this village." one child said. "He even knows factorizations that you don't know."

"The Professor is scary when she's angry, but when I know the answer, she's happy, too." said another child.

"Lloyd isn't any good at school, but he's the strongest in the village." said yet another child. "He saved me when I was attacked by monsters."

"Colette, she's always falling down and stuff, but she never cries." said the first child. "She doesn't cry even when it hurts. Colette is really grown up."

"Everyone…" Lloyd trailed. At this, Raine ran off somewhere.

"Shut up you children!" The Mayor spat. "Go away!"

"Those children understand the truth much better than you." said Chocolat. "Who do you think you are?! And it's not just you! Everyone shoved all the responsibility on the Chosen and Lloyd and the others! What have you done?! You haven't done anything!"

"We are powerless…" He said.

"Yes. But even powerless, we can still aid the Chosen and her companions when they return exhausted to this village." One villager suggested.

"Mayor, your words are so shallow that even a child can see through them." Said Hannah.

"You say that you are powerless and force everything onto the Chosen, but when push comes to shove, you turn and blame her." said Mom. "That's just too much!"

"Forcystus is dead." Chocolat announced to the villagers. "There are no more restrictions upon this village."

"We will take in the Chosen and her companions and the people from the ranch." said another villager. "And Mayor, we're not going to let you say a word about it."

"Everyone, are you sure?" Loyd asked.

"I'm a half-elf, remember?" Genis said.

"But you were raised in this village." one of the villagers replied. "And Lloyd is like a member of this village, too."

"Thank you everyone." said Genis.

"Fine, do what you want!" The Mayor said before running off, clearly embarrassed.

"I must apologize, too." said Colette.

"What?" said Lloyd.

"You saved me, and yet I…I couldn't bring myself to accept it." she replied. "I heard at the ranch about how you were kind to Grandma. Thank you."

"Thank you, Chocolat." said Genis.

"I'll always remember Marble…for the rest of my life." We then headed towards the place where Raine and Genis' house once stood. She seemed to be lost in thought.

"Professor, what is it?" asked Katrin.

"No, it's nothing." she replied. "Just…no…no, never mind. Perhaps this village has some hope left for it after all."

"I was really looking forward to you chewing out the Mayor." Zelos remarked.

"I'm not stupid enough to waste my time lecturing pigs." she replied.

"Well played." Zelos said with a smile.

"By the way, what happened to you guys?" Lloyd asked me. "You all disappeared while we were at the Ranch."

"We went home." I replied.

"That's great!" Genis exclaimed before realizing the obvious. "But then you came back. Does this mean...?"

"Like we said, we're here to see everything through." Mark Anthony replied. "We could've just walked away from this but hey—we like this world. Not enough to want to live here but we like it."

"That, and a new friend came with us when we returned." I said. "Jenna's somewhere here. I can sense her presence." We wandered over to the main gate, where the rest of our party was waiting.

"Colette, Are you alright now?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes…I think." she replied. "I'm sorry for making everyone worry."

"We have accepted a request from Phaidra and Frank to escort the Chosen to your Dirk's house." said Kratos.

"To Dad's house?" Lloyd repeated. "Why?"

"Grandmother said that dwarves know the most about Cruxis Crystals." Colette explained.

"I see…yeah, they probably do." Lloyd remarked. "Then I'll go with you. In should visit Dad every once in a while."

"Yes, you do that." Kratos replied. After I deliver the Chosen, Hannah and I will return to Cruxis."

"But what about Sheena?" asked Zelos.

"I requested a message be sent." he replied. "She should rejoin you soon."

"Alright, then let's go back to Dad's place." said Lloyd.

"Quick Jump!" Angel cast before we were all teleported to Dirk's House.

---

"Lloyd?!" Dirk exclaimed in surprise upon seeing us.

"Dad, How have you been?" he replied. "Were you affected by the earthquake?"

"This area is on top of hard bedrock." Dirk explained. "Everything is fine."

"Dirk, we are here by the request of Colette's family." Kratos explained. "They wish for you to help her." We went inside, where we all took turns filling Dirk on everything that happened up to now.

"I'm afraid even if Cruxis Crystals are an evolved form of Exsphere, I still don't know the first thing about them." said Dirk. "It'd be a better idea to ask a dwarf over in that Tethe'alla place."

"Oh…so even you don't know anything about these..." Lloyd trailed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of help." said Dirk. "At least stay here for the night to get some rest."

"We must politely decline." Kratos said as he and Hannah left the house.

"Ah…all right." Dirk said, feeling a little dejected. Lloyd and I got up and went after them. We caught them at the bridge leading back to the forest.

"Wait! Are you really going back to Cruxis?" Lloyd asked.

"I am an angel of Cruxis." Kratos replied.

"And I have something I need to do." said Hannah.

"Then why didn't you follow Yggdrassil's orders to leave the Great Seed alone?" Lloyd asked.

"I have my reasons, that's all." Kratos replied. "But as a result, Martel was not lost. That goes along with Yggdrassil's wishes."

"I have the ingredients needed to make a Rune Crest in Derris-Kharlan." said Hannah. "After I get them I'll meet up with with you guys in Tethe'alla."

"Lloyd." Said Kratos. "If you want to save Colette, you should research the records from the Ancient Kharlan War. Remember the words of the unicorn at Lake Umacy."

"Wait--why are you with Cruxis when you're a human?" Lloyd asked. But by then he and Hannah were gone. "What is he trying to do?"

"Whoa!" said in surprise when I saw who was with Sheena.

"Hey, wasn't that Kratos and Hannah just now?" Sheena asked us.

"Yeah…they returned to Cruxis." Lloyd replied.

"I see…" she trailed.

"Yeah, but anyway welcome back!" he said.

"Thanks!" she replied. "Thank goodness we stopped the Giant Tree."

Hey, who's she?" Lloyd asked, in referral to Jenna.

"My best friend, Jenna." Celes said as he came outside. "And a powerful Necromancer and Spirit Medium." Later, we all gathered together to plan our next move.

"What are we going to do now?" asked Genis.

"Let's go see Altessa." Raine suggested.

"Regardless of what happens with Kratos and Hannah, we'd better return to Tethe'alla for now." Sheena remarked.

"We don't have any other leads, either." Lloyd remarked. "All we can do is keep on going!"

"Hey, Lloyd." said Jenna. "When you have the time, I want to speak with you, Kratos and Celes privately."

"What's it about?" he asked.

"Ha ha ha!" Dad laughed. "She's going to channel your mother."

"She can do that?!" Raine exclaimed.

"I can summon the spirits of those who have passed away myself." said Ann. "Jenna' a Channeler so she'd probably be able to do a better job than I ever could."

"Really?" Lloyd asked.

"You'll have to wait and see." Jenna replied with a smile. "But first, allow me to give you all a little demonstration of my power." She then began to glow as she chanted an incantation. We all watched as her appearance changed to that of another person.

"Is that...?!" Zelos exclaimed. "Mom?!"

"Yes, it's your mother, Marline Wilder." Jenna replied, only she wasn't Jenna anymore.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Zelos said before fainting into Sheena's arms.

"Whoa..." Genis trailed as we looked from Chosen to spirit and back again.

---

End Chapter 21. Yep, the plot twist was the addition of another character from the real world. I was thinking to myself a few chapters back how I'd deal with the Disc transition and this was it. As you can see, it worked out fine. The next chapter is going to take a but of time but as usual, it'll be well worth waiting for.


	22. Chapter 22: A Matter of Time

---

Chapter 22: A Matter of Time

---

A/N: Since the entire Rune Crest Arc is being taken care of, I've got some other things planned out to fill in the gap, heh heh...

---

"If you're back here in Tethe'alla, then the world must be…" Altessa said when he saw us.

"Actually..." Lloyd trailed before telling him everything that happened in great detail.

"I see…So that's what caused the massive earthquake the other day." the Dwarf remarked.

"Was there damage on this side, too?" Lloyd asked him.

"It seems that the other regions were not greatly affected, but…" he began before Tabitha cut in.

"THERE WERE LANDSLIDES AND FALLING ROCKS IN THIS AREA." she said. "AND BECAUSE OF THAT, MITHOS WAS…"

"Mithos, what happened?" Genis asked. "You're hurt!"

"Ah, this is it's okay." he replied. "I'm fine now."

"DID YOU SEE THE BOULDERS OUTSIDE?" Tabitha asked us. "THE OTHER DAY, THERE WAS A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE AND THE BOULDERS FELL TOWARD ME."

"I'm glad you're safe." said Raine.

"Yeah, and that's really impressive the way you protected Tabatha like that, Mithos." Lloyd remarked. "You saved us before, too. You're a really nice guy, Mithos."

"..." was his reaction. "Ah…not really…" he managed to say.

"Mithos is a…kind…person." said Presea.

"He helped us find Raine when she disappeared, too." Genis remarked. "You're awesome, Mithos!"

"Thank you." he said.

"A nice guy?" Zelos remarked. "Hmm..."

"Regarding Colette's illness, it's most likely Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium." said Altessa.

"Chronic…Angelus...?" Lloyd managed to say.

"Rejection of the crystal is said to occur in one out of every million people." he explained. "But I've heard that knowledge of the cure was lost long ago. If you could find records from the Ancient War, then perhaps…"

"So it all comes back to the Ancient War." Lloyd remarked. "But where do we go to find records of it...?"

"There's an archive building is Sybak that is dedicated to the history of Mithos." said Regal.

"Oh, yeah." said Zelos. "Now that you mention it, I've heard of that."

"I know about that, too." said Martel.

"An archive building…I wonder if it will be of any use?" Raine pondered.

"If you like, I can show you around there." Martel suggested.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Genis piped up.

"You just want to go with them." said Lloyd. "Well, I guess an archive building will be safe enough. Sure, let's go together."

"If you don't mind, I'll need you guys to stay here." Katrin said to her family. "We don't have enough Reihards for all of you."

"That's fine." Midas replied. "We'll protect Altessa." The rest of us headed over to Sybak and began researching The Kharlan War.

"Materials pertaining to Mithos and his companions are on display in this area." said Martel.

"Hey, take a look at this." Sheena said suddenly.

"What's up?" I asked.

"One of Mithos' companions was afflicted with a disease that crystallizes the body." she read out loud.

"That sounds the same as Colette." Genis remarked.

"Colette is sick?" asked Mithos.

"Yeah, a little." Colette replied. "What happened to that person?"

"It seems it was cured." Sheena replied.

"Then there is a way to cure it, just as Altessa said." Said Regal.

"I hope the technique hasn't been lost." said Raine.

"So what's the cure?" asked Lloyd.

"It says a unicorn saved the maiden." said Sheena. "Is that the Unicorn Horn that we got at Lake Umacy?"

"You mean the one that Raine used to learn new healing arts?" asked Genis.

"If so, then we already know that those healing arts can't help Colette." The Professor replied.

"I wonder if the unicorn itself is necessary?" asked Presea.

"Now that you mention it, the unicorn did say he lived for healing Martel's sickness…or something like that…" Sheena remarked.

"It's just as Kratos said--'Remember the unicorn's words'." said Lloyd.

"That's your dad for you." I said with a laugh. "Don't forget Hannah said she'll take care of Colette's sickness."

"Yeah, but we haven't heard from her since we've been back in Tethe'alla." said Fin. "I wonder if something happened?"

"How can we find more information on the Kharlan War?" asked Presea.

"I've heard that the royal family has compiled and stored most of the materials concerning Mithos and the Kharlan War." Martel replied.

"During the Kharlan War, Mithos did have various interactions with the rulers." Zelos added.

"So it's Meltokio, then." said Raine. "But the Pope will be breathing down our necks. It'll be dangerous."

"We don't have the luxury of complaining that now." Sheena cut in.

"We'll head for Meltokio, but you two should go back, Mithos and Martel." said Lloyd. "Anyway, we'll take them back and—"

"It's fine." Mithos cut in. "We can go back ourselves. Don't you need to hurry? And, you're going to be infiltrating the castle, right? So be careful."

"True enough." Said Dad. "Let's get going!"

"Do they all…really believe in him?" I heard Zelos whisper. "Interesting..."

---

We passed through the Meltokio sewer in time to see a secret transaction taking place. "This is the money." we heard a soldier say.

"Yup, it's all there," we heard the voice of Vharley say.

"How long before the King is dead?" the solider asked him.

"Probably another month or so with this poison." the broker replied.

"It takes a while." the soldier remarked.

"I've been told to make it look like he died from an illness." Vharley explained. "It's slow, but he'll die for sure. Tell His Eminence the Pope to wait just a little bit longer."

"I see..." Zelos trailed. "I knew there was something wrong when the normally healthy King got sick."

"What're we gonna do, Lloyd?" asked Genis.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lloyd shot back. "If we save the King…"

"He'll be in our debt." Raine finished. "Let's go."

"Who's there?" the soldier asked as he and Vharley whirled around.

"We'll give you one guess!" I said.

"Damn, it's Zelos!" the solider spat.

"Damn it, I can't have people knowing about the assassination!" Vharley exclaimed. You'll die here!"

"Somehow I doubt that..." Fin trailed before Regal, Presea and Lloyd took him down.

"I'm going to die here?" Vharley coughed as he lay mortally wounded. "You've…got to be…kidding me. I'm going…to die…here like…that damned…Alicia...?"

"Don't insult Alicia!" Presea roared before Vharley breathed his last.

"So he was the link between the Pope and Rodyle of the Five Grand Cardinals." Lloyd remarked.

"The Pope is connected to Kuchinawa as well." Sheena pointed out.

"The Exspheres in Tethe'alla passed from Vharley to Rodyle, and the experiments related to the Cruxis Crystals were passed from Rodyle to Vharley and ultimately to the Pope." said Raine.

"The Pope probably asked them to assassinate the King in exchange for his cooperation." Zelos guessed.

"All right, let's get the Pope!" said Lloyd as we ran up the stairs and entered Meltokio. We burst into the Church of Martel and kicked in the door to the Pope's Office.

"Don't move!" Dad roared as he unsheathed his sword. At this, the Pope turned to face us.

"What are you people doing here?!" he demanded, clearly surprised to see us.

"We have something we want to ask you about." I said as I displayed the bottle of poison we found in the sewer. "You're poisoning His Majesty, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." he replied.

"You're certainly a stubborn little liar." said mom as she strung her bow and aimed it at his head. "Is there an antidote?"

"I don't know anything!" he insisted. When he reached for something in his pocket, mom fired the arrow, just missing his head. Of course, it was on purpose.

"AHH!" he screamed in a very high pitched voice.

"Don't move..." Dad said as he pointed the end of his sword at the man's throat. Or I promise you'll be leaking fluids all over this nice office of yours..."

"A…all right!" he said as he threw his hands up. "It's in the drawer in the desk!" Colette and Celes checked the desk and quickly found the antidote.

"I have something I've been wanting to ask you, too." said Genis. "Why did you try to have Kate executed?! She's your daughter!"

"Sh…shut up!" he spat. "What do you know?!"

"Yeah, I don't!" Genis shot back. "I don't know, so that's why I'm asking! Are you stupid or something?!

"You have a half-elven daughter!" Lloyd added. "Why would you take the initiative in creating rules to oppress half-elves?"

"When I was young, I also thought the oppression of half-elves was wrong." said the Pope. At this point, Mom and Dad lowered their weapons.

"Then, why?" Colette pressed. "The church exists to offer salvation to all, does it not?"

"Are you capable of understanding the terror of growing older, while your child, who supposedly shares your blood, does not?" he asked us.

"Yes, I can." Abyssion said suddenly. Everyone turned to him. "It's true I've lived longer than most humans but I will die eventually. Even then, both Damien and Aurina will live on after I've passed on."

"You're also forgetting the most important thing." said Alex. "All children will eventually surpass their parents."

"That's the kind of species half-elves are." Genis noted.

"Yes, and that is why they are shunned!" the Pope exclaimed. "I understand the feelings of those who persecute them, because my daughter is a half-elf. She terrifies me!"

"You still have yet to explain yourself." said Raine. "What is it about Kate being a Half-Elf--"

"I just called the guards." The Pope said suddenly. "If the Chosen dies here, the Church will be mine in both name and reality."

"Will the Church of Martel last without the Chosen?" Regal asked him.

"Humph, we have Seles!" the Pope replied with a sneer.

"So you did intend to drag my sister into this, you pathetic old geezer!" Zelos roared.

"It's your fault!" The Pope shot back. "Why is a worthless and irresponsible man like you Tethe'alla's Chosen of Mana?! If it weren't for you, no one would have interfered with my half-elf banishment project!"

"Why do humans…treat us this way?" Genis asked with disgust.

"Those who are different must be eliminated." The Pope replied.

"Just shut up!" I exclaimed as I pointed my sword at him. "Your ignorance is really getting on my nerves!"

"It doesn't matter if you're a half-elf, a human, or whatever." said Lloyd. "No matter who or what you are, you're born in this world, you have the right to live!" At that moment, the bookshelf moved aside to reveal a passageway and a pair of knights appeared.

"Don't move!" One of the frightened knights said. Abyssion easily disarmed them both.

"Hey, he's gonna get away!" Zelos said as the Pope fled through the passage.

"We will take care of them." Said Regal as he and Presea entered a fighting stance. The passageway led into the Castle. Once we entered a large hallway, the trail went cold.

"Damn, He got away…" Lloyd spat in frustration. Right then, more Knights appeared as Regal and Presea rejoined us.

"Chosen! I'm sorry! Please prepare yourself!" one of them said as they drew their weapons.

---

"Holy Wings, I beg of thee to reveal they glory..." I said as my wings appeared. Colette's Wings also materialized and we floated in the air above everyone else. The terrified knights screamed.

"It's an angel!" one of them exclaimed. "An angel has come down from heaven! It's the second coming of Spiritua!"

"Look, your heretical deeds have brought down an emissary of Cruxis!" Zelos suddenly exclaimed. It seemed he had a plan.

"Chosen One!" Another knight exclaimed. "Then these must truly be...!"

"Yes." Zelos finished. They are angels of death and destruction. Spiritua has returned!"

"Please forgive us, oh great angels!" They said together as they knelt before us.

"Ah…um…um…what should I do?" Colette asked me.

"Hey, what's going on?" I heard Lloyd ask Zelos.

"Don't worry and just follow my lead." Zelos replied. "Oh, holy angels, how shall we deal with these creatures?"

"Colette, say you're going to kill them." Lloyd suggested.

"B…but…" she stammered.

"It's okay." I said. "Just say it like you're in command!"

"Um…um…Die!" she exclaimed.

"Please have mercy! Forgive us!" the Knights begged.

"Holy ones, please spare their lives in my name." Zelos said to me and Colette. "I will defeat those who oppose you and once again act as the Chosen to spread the teachings of Martel. Please!"

"I shall forgive you." I said. "Bow before us and recognize Zelos Wilder as the Chosen of Mana."

"Did you hear that?!" Zelos asked the knights. "The angels have recognized the Chosen as the true holy will of the church. Leave at once and capture my enemies, the Pope and his private soldiers, the Papal Knights!"

"Y…yes, sir!" one of the knights replied.

"Revoke the wanted status of the Chosen and his companions at once!" Zelos added.

"Yes, sir!" the same knight replied. "Everyone, do as the Chosen commands!" They all then fled to do as they were told. Colette and I floated down and put our wings away.

"We were saved by the Legend of Spiritua." Regal remarked.

"Is that related to Spiritua, the Chosen of Sylverant?" asked Raine.

"Beats me." Zelos replied. "If you want to know the details, go read the books in the church or something. Anyway, Spiritua is famous for saving a Chosen by killing a King who tried to dispose of the Chosen."

"Hmmm...kind of like what's going on now..." Genis remarked.

"Does this mean they won't be chasing us anymore?" Presea asked.

"The church should be fine now, anyway." Zelos remarked. "What's left is His Majesty."

"We need to let him know that he's been poisoned." said Lloyd. We quickly ran to the King's personal chambers.

"Princess, please let us see His Majesty." Zelos asked Princess Hilda.

"I don't know anything about the return of Spiritua, but my father is sick." she replied. "My father only wanted to protect Tethe'alla…"

"We know." Zelos replied. "Are you aware that His Majesty has been poisoned by the Pope?"

"That can't be…" she trailed in horror.

"It's true." said Mark as he showed her the slow-acting drug. "The Pope has run away upon being investigated for it."

"We must hurry and neutralize the poison." said Katrin. "Please move." She gave me, Raine and Katrin space to administer the antigen.

"It looks like this is definitely the antidote." Raine remarked as the King began to stir.

"It looks like he's regained consciousness." Zelos said as the King sat up. "Your Majesty, do you recognize me?"

"The traitor…Zelos." he replied. "Have you come to kill me...?"

"No, Zelos saved you!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Traitor…yes, that does suit me." Zelos remarked, more to himself. "Anyway, we were set up by the Pope. We have no intention of harming Tethe'alla."

"Even if the ruling family were to doubt him, the church, soldiers, and citizens will certainly side with Zelos the Chosen." said Raine. "We have the return of Spiritua with us, after all." The King thought for a moment.

"What do you want?" he finally asked us.

"We want to see documents concerning the hero Mithos and the Kharlan War that are maintained by the royal family." Lloyd replied.

"They are stored in the archive on the second floor." said the King. "Do what you will with them but do not show yourselves in front of me again. I am…tired. I want nothing more to do with the church's power struggles."

"You're just being selfish!" Genis exclaimed.

"It's all right, kid." said Zelos as he put a hand on Genis' shoulder. "Then, Your Majesty, we shall allow ourselves access." Upon arriving, we were shocked at the expanse amount of books in front of us.

"All right, let's start looking through these books." said Mark. We split up and began our search for clues. Within an hour, we'd gone through just about all of them.

"It's no use!" Zelos said in frustration.

"I can't believe we've searched through all this and still haven't found it…" Angel breathed.

"Are there any other books?" asked Katrin.

"I'm not going to give up." said Lloyd. "There has to be a way."

"Lloyd, Thank you. But…it's okay, you can stop." said Colette. As she walked over to him, she tripped and made a stack of books fall we looked in surprise to see the book at the very top float down gently and into my hands. I passed it to Raine, who began to read it.

"This may be it!" The Professor exclaimed after reading some of it.

"I certainly didn't expect to find the book that way." Regal remarked with a smile.

"Colette's clumsiness seems to truly be blessed." said Sheena.

"Professor, what does it say?" asked Lloyd.

"In order to prevent the erosion of the Cruxis Crystal, a Mana Fragment and zircon are fused using Boltzman's technique, to create a Rune Crest." she read. "Fibers from the Mana Leaf Herb, when placed in the crest, protect against the crystallization caused by the illness. The rest of this is just theory."

"So in other words, we need a Mana Fragment, Zircon, and a Unicorn Horn, right?" Genis asked.

"And a Mana Leaf Herb." Raine finished. "Then, we make something called a Rune Crest, and attaching that to the Key Crest will suppress the crystal's activity."

"Who's going to make that?" I demanded.

"Well, a dwarf, I guess." Zelos replied.

"What is happening to Colette's body?" asked Presea. "We saw what happened when Celes removed her Cruxis Crystal but..."

"It says it's called, "Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium", just like the Altessa's diagnosis." Raine replied. "It's an illness that causes the entire body to become a Cruxis Crystal."

"Okay, now we have some hope!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"But there's not much time." Raine cut in. "It says that epidermal crystallization begins within a few months, and the final stages of the disease cause the body to completely crystallize. The internal organs start to crystallize once the epidermis has crystallized, and then finally..."

"The subject dies." I finished as we all looked at Colette.

"I suppose there's no point in trying to mince words--yes, exactly." said Dad.

"Then let's hurry." Zelos suggested. "Cute girls deserve to live long." We walked into Meltokio's Main Square to plan what to do next. Now that the Papal Knights were no longer chasing us, we could freely walk in the open.

---

"Where could we find the materials?" Presea suddenly asked.

"My company once handled zircon." Regal remarked. "If we go to the main Lezareno building, we should be able to find information on it and where it is stored."

"Man Leaf Herb…is probably in Heimdall." said Raine.

"The elven village?" Genis asked.

"Yes…I think I've heard the name of that plant before, when I was a child…" The Professor trailed.

"But the people of Heimdall forbid anyone that is not an elf to enter the village." Zelos pointed out. "It seems there was some trouble between them and humans a long time ago. These days, no one enters without a permit from the King of Tethe'alla."

"I wonder if the King will give us a permit?" asked Celes.

"Who knows? Zelos replied. "He doesn't seem to want to see me. We could try asking Princess Hilda."

"Then, assuming we can get the Mana Leaf Herb, what about the Mana Fragment?" asked Mom. "What is it, anyway?"

"In the scriptures of the Church of Martel, there is a passage that says 'The colossal mana of the great motherland, Derris-Kharlan, rained down upon the earth in fragments, giving birth to all living things.'" Said Colette.

"So it's in Derris-Kharlan?" Lloyd asked.

"There's no proof, but…" she trailed.

"That's the Cruxis' main base." I pointed out. "Let's do that later. First, we'll go to either Heimdall or the Lezareno Company in Altamira." We returned to the castle, where we spoke to Princess Hilda about getting a permit to enter Heimdall.

"My father…says that he does not want to meet with anyone." The Princess told us.

"But we have to go to Heimdall." I said. "The King is the only one that can issue the pass to Heimdall, right?"

"Could you please ask him for us, Princess?" said Zelos.

"Zelos, if you insist, I will ask my father." she said. "Please wait a moment." She then left to seek the pass we were in need of.

"Even if we receive the pass, Heimdall is not a friendly village to anyone except elves." Raine remarked. "I can't say if they'll give us a Mana Leaf Herb..."

"Then it's a good thing we already got some." we heard Hannah say as She, Kratos and Yuan entered the Throne Room.

"Your timing as as sterling as ever." I remarked.

"Sorry we took so long but Yuan was so insistent he come along." Hannah explained. "We've got everything—the Mana Leaf Herb from Heimdall, Zircon from Sybak and a Mana Fragment from Derris-Kharlan."

"Excellent!" Raine exclaimed. "This is perfect! You three may have saved us the trouble of having to go to Heimdall."

"Actually, there's still some things that need to be taken care of before the Rune Crest is made." I remarked as Hilda returned to us.

"This is a letter from my father to Heimdall." she said as he gave the scroll to Lloyd. "You should be able to enter the village with this.

"Princess, you have my thanks!" Zelos said with a smile.

"Where's Heimdall, anyway?" asked Lloyd.

"The Tower of Salvation is located at the center of the world, right?" Regal asked Zelos. "It's south of there. I heard it's surrounded by the Ymir Forest."

"Okay, let's go, guys!" Lloyd said before we turned and headed back outside. "On to Heimdall!"

"Before we got there, would you mind following us to Exire for a bit?" Yuan suddenly asked.

"Exire?" Raine repeated. "What's there?"

"Exire is a city that floats high above Tethe'alla." Yuan explained. "It's been a safe haven for Half-Elves for the last 4,000 years."

"I've heard of it." Zelos remarked. "That's where my sister was to..."

"What is it?" Lloyd asked him.

"Nothing, but I think we should visit Exire at least once." he replied. We got on the Reihards and followed Kratos and Yuan (who flew with their wings) to Exire. It was kept in the air by the power of Maxwell, the most powerful of the Summon Spirits spoken of only on Legend. The pair led us to the Elder's house, who seemed to recognize Raine.

"Virginia." he said to her.

"You know my mother?!" she asked in surprise.

I see...so you are Virginia's…!" he trailed.

"If you know my mother, please tell me." Raine pleaded. "Is she…she's in this city, isn't she?"

"You should not meet her." he warned. "Even if you did…it would do you no good."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"When you talk to her, you'll know." he replied before showing us the door.

"Lloyd…please help me find Virginia." said Raine.

"Sure." He replied as we began our search. "Some of the houses were crumpled and abandoned. Along our we we found three Launch Pads for the Reihards. At last, there was just one more house we hadn't searched yet.

"You'd best avoid that place." one villager said to us.

"Why?" Lloyd asked.

"There's an elf woman who lives there, and she's a bit of strange one." The villager replied.

"It can't be!" Raine exclaimed. "Mother is in this house?!" her hands shook as she turned the handle on the door and let herself in, Genis right behind her. Myself, Celes, Mark Anthony, Hannah, Katrin, Yuan, Ann and Lloyd followed them in while everyone else waited outside the house.

---

"Who's there?" The woman inside asked of us. One look at her and I immediately knew she was Raine and Genis' mother.

"Excuse us." said Raine. "I have something I would like to ask you…"

"Oh, half-elves." Virgina said with a strange smile as she cradled a rag doll. "My child is a half-elf, too."

"It's a doll…" Lloyd said.

"See, she has such an intelligent looking face, doesn't she?" Virginia asked us. "Her name is Raine. She's my pride and joy." I could see horror creeping over Raine's face. She was beginning to understand what the Elder meant when he said talking to her would be no good.

"She has the same name as…It can't be…" Genis trailed. I couldn't tell which this was hurting more—Genis or Raine. Both were equally distraught.

"Right now, I have another child on the way." Virginia informed us. "I've already decided on a name. If it's a girl, it's Jean. If it's a boy, it's Genis. What do you think? Aren't they lovely names?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Celes trailed as she turned her back on the senile old Elf Woman.

"Are you Virginia?" Lloyd asked her.

"Yes, that's right." she replied. "How did you know?" An audible gasp escaped the lips of Genis and Raine. This was their mother!

"Stop this!" Raine exclaimed, having heard enough.

"Professor Sage…" Lloyd started.

"What were you thinking?!" Raine continued. "Do you know what happened to the two of us since you abandoned us?!" Virginia looked at Raine and Genis as if they were stranger. Or maybe they really were.

"What? Why are you raising your voice like that?" she asked. "You'll wake Raine."

"I'm Raine!" The Professor exclaimed. "I'm the daughter you shunned and abandoned! Not that doll! Genis is here, too!"

"What are you talking about?" Virginia demanded. "There must be something wrong with you."

"YOU'RE the one that's wrong!" Raine said as she took out her Staff. Katrin and Genis had to stop her from trying to harm Virginia. "How could you…how could you…"

"Oh, now you've gone and made Raine cry." Virginia said as she cradled her doll. "Please, leave! There, there…it's okay, Raine. The scary people have gone now. Don't cry..." Unable to take anymore, Raine fainted on the spot.

Oh, crap..." Hannah trailed.

"Raine!" Genis exclaimed.

"Let's take her outside." Dad suggested as he and Ann picked her up with help from Lloyd. The rest of us were about to follow when Yuan stopped Katrin.

"Wait." he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Heal her mind." he replied. "I was going to ask Raine to do it but she's incapacitated right now. This way, The Sages would finally have some closure."

"A-Alright." she replied as she approached Virginia. "Mrs. Sage, please relax and close your eyes..."

---

"How could she?" Raine asked after coming around. "First she abandons her children, and then she abandons the memory of doing so! She…doesn't even remember us."

"Raine…don't cry…" Genis said as he fought off the urge to cry himself. At least he himself had no memories of their mother.

"So you met Virginia." The Elder said as he approached us.

"Why is she here?" I asked.

"Several years ago, I found a husband and wife collapsed of exhaustion in the Ymir Forest. It was Virginia and her husband, Kloitz." he began.

"Father..." Raine trailed.

"It seems Kloitz was dispatched from Meltokio to investigate the elf village." The Elder continued. "He fell in love with Virginia and remained in Heimdall, but…"

"But a half-elf that lived in the village tried to sell out our father to the soldiers." Raine said, filling in the missing gap. "It became a huge incident. Fighting broke out between the elves and half-elves…"

"The cause of the incident, Virginia's family was banished from the village." The Elder continued. "They traveled from land to land, but the world was not kind to half-elves…"

"And we were abandoned." Genis finished.

"So it would seem." The Elder remarked. "And Kloitz must have been ill, for he died soon after they arrived in this village. Virginia began to lose her mind from that day."

"She's unbelievably selfish!" Raine exclaimd. "She tosses us aside on a whim and then forgets us and just goes off into her own little world of dreams!"

"Even so, Virginia was worried about you two." The Elder replied. "'In the legendary land of Sylverant, surely half-elves will be free from discrimination.' I want them to be happy.' That's what she said. I've been keeping Virginia's diary safe here. You can come get it at any time, if you ever decide you want it."

"You mean this?" I asked as I produced a mid-sized book." Sorry, but when I saw the word 'Sage' written on it I couldn't help but pick it up to read."

"Do you want to read the diary out loud?" The Elder asked me.

"Professor…this is…" Lloyd said after looking at a few pages. I read aloud:

"_The Otherworldly gate has opened. Raine, Genis, please forgive your powerless mother. Surely even the Imperial Research Academy will not follow you to Sylverant. This must be a better choice than to spend your life in that damp, filthy dungeon like a slave. Please, make your way to freedom…"_

"What did she mean?" Genis asked.

"Raine, you must have been incredibly talented." The Elder remarked. "It seems the Imperial Research Academy was dying to get its hands on you."

"That's why we couldn't settle down anywhere and had to keep traveling…" Raine said.

"Eventually you were chased all the way to the Otherworldly Gate." said Terra. It seems she managed to send you through it."

"Then…she didn't abandon us because we were in the way or that she hated us or anything!" Genis exclaimed.

"Yes…that's right." we heard a familiar voice say. Everyone turned to see Katrin, Mark, Yuan and Virginia emerge from the house. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life."

"Mother...!" Raine.

"It's alright." Katrin said with a smile. "She's fine now." Raine and Genis just stared.

"I think this is the part where you're supposed to run into her arms and tell her how much you missed not having her around." Angel said to Genis. And with that, they did.

"And here's where we give them some time to themselves." Yuan said before ushering us to a park nearby.

"I take it you healed her, then?" Dad asked Katrin.

"My Song of Restoration did the trick." she replied with a grin. "Yuan would've preferred Raine to have been the one to do it but then she fainted."

"I think it was pretty nice of you to have done that for them." said Sheena. "Raine, especially. So many unanswered questions. I can relate in a way. The village chief found me as a newborn in the Phantom Forest. I grew up never knowing my true parents."

"Hey, where did Jenna go off to?" Angel suddenly asked.

"Now that you mention it, she disappeared while guys were talking to Mrs. Sage." said Alex. "She said something about meeting a friend."

"Hey, who's that?" Mark asked. We looked and saw a lady walking over to us. She had a short build, brown hair and hazel eyes. Both Lloyd and Kratos looked as if they were seeing a ghost.

"...Anna?!" Kratos exclaimed.

"Mom?!" Lloyd exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, it's me." she replied with a smile. "It's good to see you're both well."

"How can this be possible?!" Presea asked. "She died and Lloyd's Exsphere has..."

"My spirit bound to it, I know." Anna finished. "But I do live on inside the Crystal. If a Spirit Medium like say...Jenna calls to me, I can borrow her body or a time."

"I see..." Kratos remarked. "So right now you're being channeled through Jenna."

"That's right." she replied. "My body is in Sylverant, after all. I came to tell the two most important men to me something important. I may be dead but my spirit lives on in the two of you. Keep each other safe and live long and prosperous lives. Kratos, I know that like Regal you still blame yourself for my death. It wasn't your fault and I don't blame you. And Lloyd, please find it in your heart to trust your father. He may seem distant but that's because he thought you dead after he was forced to kill me when I turned into a monster. Can you two do this for me?"

"I'll try..." Lloyd trailed.

"In your memory, I promise." said Kratos.

"Good." Anna said with a smile. "It looks like Jenna wants her body back. If ever you want to speak with me, just ask her and she'll channel me." After saying so, her form changed completely into that of my best friend.

"So, what do you think?" Jenna asked us. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"You have no idea..." Mom trailed. We walked back to Virginia's House, where it seems the Sages finished talking.

"Katrin, I don't think I could thank you enough." said Raine.

"Ah, don't mention it." Katrin replied. "Compared to raising the dead, that was nothing. At least you've got your mom back. Keep her close and don't let her get away from you. I've no doubt the three of you will long and fulfilling lives here in Exire."

"What are you talking about?" Genis asked. "We're coming with you—ALL of us."

"Really?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"I wouldn't be able to live peacefully knowing my best friend's putting everything on the line to make things easier for half-elves." Genis replied with a grin. "And we promised we'd see this to the end, remember?"

"Genis...thanks." Lloyd said as the two embraced.

"So now we've got one more." Zelos remarked. "I guess we could take her to Altessa's place for the time being..."

"Now don't let my appearance fool you." Virginia said with a smile, knowing what Zelos was getting at. "Raine and Genis may have inherited my Healing Arts and Spells but now you will get to see what Mother Sage has to offer." A staff materialized in her hands as if on cue. Before Zelos could react, Virginia knocked him flat on his face.

"That looked a lot more painful than it felt..." Fin remarked. Everyone else simply laughed.

---

We returned to Altessa's place to give Mithos and Martel an update on our proceedings before heading to Heimdall. That, and I was secretly hoping I could convince them to come with us.

"Everyone…oh!" Martel yelped when Raine suddenly collapsed.

"Raine!" Genis and Mithos exclaimed at the same time.

"She's burning up!" Virginia said after touching her face. Yuan picked her up and took her to a nearby bed.

"Why all of a sudden?" asked Angel. "She was fine when we were on Exire."

"There's a vicious virus going around". Martel remarked thoughtfully. "It might be that…"

"I'm sorry…it's nothing serious…" Raine said as she tried to sit up.

"No, you mustn't ignore it." said Yuan. "As the group's only healer, we'll need you to get better."

"I am the one who fixed Virginia's mind, you know." said Katrin, clearly offended. "Though, to be honest I have no idea how to cure this."

"Then we'll call a doctor." Altessa suggested,

"I am one." said Celes. "I got my medical license at the age of seventeen. Still, I think I'm going to need a second opinion."

"The doctor I know is in Flanoir." Sheena remarked.

"Well, I know one in Meltokio." said Zelos.

"Then let's split up and see both of them." Colette suggested.

"Presea, Colette, Martel, Hannah, Jenna and I will go to Meltokio." said Zelos. The six of them then left the room.

"Picking only girls." Sheena scoffed. "Let's go Fin, Damien, Alex, Katrin and Regal!" The six of them quickly left for Flanoir. This left Me, Lloyd, Mithos, Dad, Abyssion, Angel, Mom, Leon, Celes, Kyle and Katrin's family in the house.

How come I got left behind?" Lloyd asked me.

"Your guess is a good as mine." I remarked.

"SOMEONE MUST WATCH OVER HER." Tabitha said thoughtfully.

"Well, that's true." said Yuan. "Leave Raine to Virginia, Celes and me until the others return." The rest of us sat in the hallway, waiting for time to pass. Suddenly, Mithos got up.

"Genis, Angel and Leon." he said. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

---

A/N: This next part is from Angel's point of view. I say that now since you can probably guess how I am going to do this Side Quest.

---

"What is it, Mithos?" I asked once the four of us were outside.

"Raine's illness." he replied. "I know how to cure it."

"Really?!" Genis exclaimed.

"Yes." he replied. "It's probably the Ozette Cold. It's a dangerous disease."

"What do we need to do?" asked Leon.

"We need the nectar of the Fandalia flower that blooms at the summit of the Fooji Mountains." he replied. "If we can get that, it will cure her fever."

"The Fooji Mountains?" Genis remarked. "Okay, I'll go tell Lloyd!"

"Wait." he said suddenly. "Let's go get the flower together, just the four of us."

Just us?" I asked.

"Yes and there's not much time." Mithos replied. "And besides, I want us to save Raine ourselves." and with that, we went off on our own. The four smallest members of the group on an important mission!

---

"Oh, brother…" Lloyd said as he and I watched them go.

"Dad, they went off on their own!" I yelled into the house.

"Keep tabs on them." said Kratos. "Just keep your distance—I overheard them and I think they're on to something."

"Ok, let's go Mark Anthony!" Lloyd said as he walked down the path. When we reached the summit, they weren't there. Hearing someone coming, we ducked behind a rock.

"Here it is." we heard Mithos say, apparently finding what they'd come for.

"Don't worry, I've been here many times." said Angel. Suddenly, a monster sprang up and attacked them.

"Whoa!" Leon exclaimed.

"We have to defeat it!" Mithos exclaimed.

"I'll do it!" said Angel as the skies suddenly darkened. "INDIGNATION!" A blast of lightning struck the monster killing it in one blow. I had to admit I was impressed.

"What the?!" Genis exclaimed. "What happened just now?"

"Angel's attack just blew that monster away!" Mithos cheered.

"Wow..." Leon trailed. "I'm impressed."

"Yeah, you're amazing, Angel!" Genis piped up.

"Ah, don't mention it." Angel replied. "Let's just get going."

"Oh, brother..." I said.

"Oh, well, we'd better follow them to make sure they're okay." said Lloyd. We followed them to the summit where we first arrived in Tethe'alla. I had to admit it brought back some memories.

"It's this flower." Mithos said as he picked some of the foliage.

"Great, now we can save Raine!" Leon exclaimed.

"It's because of the hard work of you guys." said Mithos.

"Nah, not really." Angel replied. "We were working together, remember? That and the monsters were weak and easy."

"Say Genis, between me and Lloyd: Who do you like better?" Mithos suddenly asked.

"What the—why is he asking that all of a sudden?" Lloyd asked me.

"What--why are you asking something like that all of a sudden?" Genis probed. "I like you both the same."

"If Lloyd and I got into a fight, which side would you be on?" Mithos asked.

"Well, it depends on what the fight's about but I'm sure you wouldn't start a fight about something stupid like Lloyd would, so I guess I'd side with you." Genis replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lloyd asked me. I was laughing so hard, I had to cover my mouth so I wouldn't blow our cover.

"Really?" Mithos asked in amazement. "For sure?!"

"Yeah, really." Genis replied.

"Thank goodness." Mithos said, sounding very relieved. "Because you and Lloyd are good friends, I was a little envious…"

"You're Lloyd's friend too, remember?" Leon reminded him.

"Ah...yeah I am but…" Mithos trailed. "I'm sorry for asking such a weird question. You're the first half-elf friend I've had that is near my age, so I'm happy and excited."

"It's okay, I'm the same way." Genis piped up.

"Same here." said Angel. "Oh, wait—you guys are Half-Elves so you're probably a lot older than Leon and I are."

"Ah...something like that..." Mithos trailed.

"Something the matter?" Leon asked him.

"I wish we could stay together forever." he replied.

"Then why don't we?" Angel suggested.

"Is it all right if I take that seriously?" Mithos asked. "You two are from another world, right?"

"Sure." Leon replied. "We're friends, right?"

"Okay, I'm holding you to that, then!" Mithos cheered. "Heehee…Now, let's hurry back and save Raine."

"Yeah…wait just a little longer, Raine!" Leon said as they started down.

"They have no idea how much trouble we're going through for them." I said to Lloyd as we emerged from our hiding spot. "Oh, well. I guess We'd better be getting--"

"Just a moment, Angel." Mithos suddenly said. Involuntarily, Lloyd and I ducked before she could spot us. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

---

"What is it?" I asked him.

"I know you and your family know about me." he replied. "Who I really am, I mean."

"Wha-what are you talking about?" I asked, getting a bit nervous.

"Come now, Angel Toss." Mithos said, this time with a more mature voice. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I've allowed Kratos, Yuan, Abyssion, Hannah and your father do as they please?" I now knew he knew. "That's right." he continued. "I wouldn't make a good leader of Cruxis if I didn't know about everything you all have been doing."

"What do you want?" I asked, wondering if Mithos was aware Lloyd and Mark Anthony were very close by.

"I was wondering if you were interested in meeting the child Celes gave birth to in the Tower of Salvation." he replied, this time in his normal voice. "I know you, along with the rest of your family are probably wondering why your sister gave birth to a baby. Well, guess what? Aurina did, too. A boy, in fact."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"It's true." As you can probably guess, the girl your sister gave birth to is my sister now. Martel. Care to guess what that makes me?" I could only stare in horror.

"What happened to the real Mithos Yggdrassil?!" I demanded.

"He was having second thoughts about the New Age of Half-Elves so I disposed of him." he replied. "I will not let anyone get any the way of my plans."

"You got Martel." I said. "What more do you want."

"Wouldn't you like to know..." He said as his eye color changed from blue to crimson red before changing back. "Mention any of what we discussed to anyone else and I will make sure you don't leave this world alive. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." I replied. "I should warn you: Your threats are useless against a spellcaster like me. I'm a lot more powerful than I look." The skies darkened again, as if to agree with my last statement as we stared each other down.

"Try it." Mithos said, apparently realizing I was casting.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" we heard Leon say as he and Genis approached us. I quickly canceled the spell I was going to use, returning the sky to normal.

"Oh, I just asked Angel to show me Indignation again." Mithos replied as he flashed Genis and Leon an innocent-looking smile. I wanted to punch him but resisted the urge to do so in front of Leon and Genis. If they only knew.

---

We got back later than expected since we had to wait for Mithos, Leon, Angel and Genis to get back safely. I still could not believe what I'd overheard. If what this person said was true, who was he?

"What are you doing, Lloyd?" Genis asked as the two of us entered Altessa's House.

"What do you mean, what am I doing?" he repeated.

"Mithos, Angel, Leon and I went to the Fooji Mountains." Genis replied. "See how mature we are?"

"Genis was amazing." Mithos remarked. "I respect him."

"And then here's Lloyd and Mark Anthony doing...what, again?" Zelos asked.

"No kidding." Sheena remarked.

"The two of you should be ashamed." said Presea.

"It's appalling to abandon a sick woman." Regal remarked.

"I'm sure they were doing their best to save the Professor, too." said Colette. "Right, Lloyd?"

"Yeah...something like that..." Lloyd said as he and I just stared at each other.

"At least Dad and the others were here to guard the house." said Celes. "I didn't even know you were gone!"

"Thank you, but as you can see I'm fine now." said Raine.

"The flower nectar that Genis, Leon, Angek Mithos brought back brought her fever down." said Martel.

"I'm so glad Raine is well again." said Genis. "Our group just isn't the same when she's not feeling well."

"But please, be careful." said Virginia. "You just got over your fever."

"Thank you, everyone." said Raine.

"Humph." I said as the two of us walked back outside.

"Wait." Kratos said suddenly. "Don't you have anything to say?" I didn't want to give away to Mithos we'd overheard what he said to Angel and I knew Dad, Kratos and Yuan would be interested in knowing about it. If we needed a diversion, now was the time.

"Well, we tried." I finally said. "Looks like Mithos' group beat us to it, though."

"What?" asked Angel.

"Don't you remember? I asked. "I know the story so obviously I'd know the plant Raine needed is on Fooji Mountain. We didn't see you guys when we were there so you guys must've been really motivated."

"I see." said Sheena. "When you put it that way, things start to make a lot of sense. I'm sorry for sounding like you didn't care or anything."

"Apology accepted." I replied with a smile.

"I didn't want to tell you guys but we knew they left." said Dad. "We asked them to keep an eye out for Mithos' group if they saw them but it looks like they didn't. Isn't that right, Mark?" The four of them stared at us. Again, I wasn't sure what my answer should be.

"No, but I want to talk to you, Kratos, Yuan, Abyssion, Aurina, Hannah and Celes a bit later." I replied. "Angel, I want you to be present too."

"What's this about?" asked Zelos.

"It only concerns them." I replied before yanking them outside and shutting the door.

"This must be serious if you want all of us to be present." said Dad.

"Let's talk in the Tethe'alla Base." Yuan suggested as he revealed his wings. The rest of us followed suit and flew to the Renegade Base, where we met in Yuan's office.

"Let me guess: You overheard us talking." said Angel.

"Oh, yeah." I replied. The two of us took that moment to fill everyone present in on what 'Mithos' said earlier.

"If what that person said is true, then the question is: where is the real Mithos?" said Yuan.

"Your guess is a good as mine." said Kratos. "I'm sure he's alive—should the real Mithos die, then things could get complicated."

"No kidding." Hannah remarked. "We don't even know who we're dealing with."

"I think..I have an idea." said Angel. "I saw his eyes turn red when he spoke to me."

"It must've been that fiend Abyssion!" Abyssion exclaimed. "As long as Nebilim occupies his body, he can alter his appearance at will. He's probably holding Mithos somewhere on Derris-Kharlan."

"That almost doesn't sound right coming from you." Celes remarked. "But I follow. So tell me, Aurina. How does it feel to have been used to clone someone?"

"Wait, wait." I said. "Angel, are you sure it was Mithos' clone you saw or was it Nebilim?"

"Why do you ask?" Dad asked me.

"I just don't think we should discredit the idea that they're working together." I said.

"I agree." said Hannah. "It was shortly after Abyssion came to Derris-Kharlan that Mithos started acting weird."

"When you put it that way, some things seem to make sense." Yuan remarked as he and Kratos got to their feet.

"Where are you going?" Dad asked.

"To find our friend." Kratos replied. "We'll meet up with you at the Tower of Salvation."

"I'll come with you." said Hannah. "There's something I want to check on in Mithos' Castle. Take this, Ted. It's the Rune Crest for Colette."

"So nice of you to remember." he said with a laugh.

"Alright, then it's settled." I said. "The rest of us will return to Altessa's place. Good luck, you two."

---

Ok, now that's finally it. The scenes where they go around looking for the ingredients for the Rune Crest are still gonna happen cause Kratos and Yuan are looking for Mithos. This would've been a lot longer if I pushed it but I need a few days rest before the next update. How much longer is this story? I can't even imagine with all the stuff I have planned, heh he!

I know you didn't see Virginia Sage joining the party coming. Botta's running the Renegades for the time being, by the way. He didn't die when he was supposed to, remember? There was a hint of Yuan/Raine in this chapter. There'll be more of that, friends.

I'm sure you've got questions about what'll happen next so I'll give you small glimpse at what's to come: Seles Wilder joins the party but not in the way you'd expect. What does that mean? You'll have a bit of waiting before you can find out!


	23. Chapter 23: The Legend of Mithos

---

Chapter 23: The Legend of Mithos: A Link to the Past

---

A/N: I'll be blunt—there's a few twists and some key information is revealed in this chapter. This spans Altamira, Mizuho, Heimdall and Derris-Kharlan. The Flanoir Scenes (YES, I said SCENES) are next chapter.

Also this will be told from the viewpoint of at least 6 different people. For the most part it's been from the view of Ted, Katrin, Angel, Mark Anthony and Celes. We're near the end but next chapter makes this the Longest Fanfic I've ever written. Pokemon World War has more chapters but this one has more words. It's also one of Nine Fanfics I've written with a thousand or more views. Pretty impressive, eh?

---

When Dad, Mark and the others came back, none of them said a word. They simply suggested we get on with things and head for Altamira to find out about Zircon. "We'll have a surprise visitor while we're there." Mark insisted. Then I knew what he was driving at.

"Is everything running smoothly?" Regal asked George in his old office.

"Yes, the business is." George replied. "However, the sealed Exsphere mine was raided by someone. We believe it was the work of Vharley but fortunately, it appears that access to the core area was prevented."

"So it would seem." Regal remarked with a look of satisfaction. "But it is safe to assume that there will be no more trouble of that nature. Vharley is dead."

"In other words, Alicia was avenged through the actions of Regal and Presea." Zelos rephrased.

"I see…this is good news!" George exclaimed. "Are you here just to report this information?"

"No, I have other business." Regal replied. "I want to take a look at the records concerning past mining operations. Please unlock the door to the archives."

"Documents related to past mining operations should be in the left room of the second floor archive." George replied. We headed downstairs and quickly found that which we sought. As Lloyd was about to tell us where the last shipment of Zircon was sent, someone snatched the scroll from his hands.

"Wh--what the?!" he exclaimed when he realized he'd been ripped off.

"Well, well. What have we here?" A familiar voice said. We looked up in time to see--

"Kuchinawa!" Sheena exclaimed.

"The Pope is gone and Vharley is dead." Lloyd told him. "Why do you still get in our way?!"

"This is about me, isn't it?" Sheena asked.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Because of you, my parents and countless members of our village died. The Chief has not awoken from his coma for ten years!"

"I…I'm sorry." she started.

"You think apologizing will cut it?!" Kuchinawa refuted. "I will never forgive you!"

"Kuchinawa!" Sheena exclaimed in shock. "If I'm the one you hate..."

"Sheena!" Lloyd cut in. "If you're going to suggest sacrificing yourself again, I'll never forgive you!"

"If I'm the one you hate, let's have a one-on-one duel, as dictated by village custom." Sheena suggested.

"Do you really think you can defeat me alone?" he asked her.

"Well? Do you accept my challenge?" she pressed.

"Very well." he replied. "Do you want to do it here and now?"

"We'll follow the village custom and fight on the Isle of Decision." she replied. "Is that all right with you guys?"

"I guess it wouldn't be much use to try and stop you." I remarked.

"Thank you." she said.

"I'll be waiting for you on the Isle of Decision." Kuchinawa said as he turned to leave.

"Wait, give us back that document!" Sheena pressed.

"This is the proof of your promise to fight." he declared.

"Colette may die if we don't have that!" Sheena exclaimed. "If you need proof of the duel, I'll give you this."

"And that is?" he asked as Sheena held up Corrine's Bell.

"Corrine's…memento." Sheena replied. It was then that the Crimson Ninja remembered Sheena and Corrine were very close.

"Very well." Kuchinawa said as he traded the items with her. "If you do not come, I will grind this bell to dust." he then took his leave of us.

"Sheena…I know how important that was to you." Said Colette. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." she replied. "All I have to do is…defeat him. I'm not going to run away anymore. The Isle of Decision is reached from Mizuho, so can we stop by there?"

"Of course." Dad replied. "Angel, if you would?"

"Would what?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Quick Jump! Quick Jump!" Celes and I said in unison.

"Oh, right." she said. "I must've been distracted there."

"Oh, let me." Leon said as he began to cast. Mizuho, here we come!" We watched in surprise as only half the group teleported. Thankfully, Angel wasn't one of them.

"It seems our group is so large we can't all go at the same time anymore." Katrin remarked with a smile. "Angel, if you would?"

---

Upon entering the village, Orochi was standing nearby in wait of us. "Sheena, Kuchinawa declared that he will duel you on condition of leaving the village." he said, stating the obvious.

"Yes, I know." she replied.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Kuchinawa was carrying out Tiga's orders to act as a liaison to the Elemental Research Laboratory in Meltokio. Why is he dueling against you? Vice-Chief Tiga is angry, saying that this is personal."

"I'll report the details to the Vice-Chief." she replied.

"Then I will go as well." he replied. "I have that right as Kuchinawa's brother."

"Yeah…Mark Anthony, you come, too." she said.

"What?" my brother asked in surprise. "Ah, okay."

As they walked into the Chief's House, I said to Lloyd "What NORMALLY happens is Sheena would ask YOU to go with her. It looks like she trusts Mark a bit more than you for some reason."

"You think so?" he asked me.

"Well, you did tell her you'd never forgive her if she suggested she sacrifice herself." I remarked. "I hate to tell you this but in reality, sometimes sacrifices are unavoidable. You should know that by now, too."

"Yeah, but this is different!" he exclaimed. "What happened with Volt shouldn't be brought up now when Sheena's starting to make a difference! It doesn't make any sense!"

"I agree with you but as you just saw, some people just can't let go of the past." I replied before thinking for a moment. "Heh, I just remembered something."

"What's that?" he asked.

"There's a few members of my family whose past is very similar to that of the Symphonia members of the group." I replied.

"Like who?" he asked.

"I don't think it's my place to talk about it since it happened before I was born." I replied. "I will tell you who can, however." I took an old movie poster from my backpack and handed it to him. "Show this to Katrin. She'll give you the details."

---

"Are you ready?" Orochi asked us after we took the time to make preparations.

"Yes." I replied.

"Kuchinawa has already headed for the Isle." he replied. "I leave my brother to you." He showed us to a boat which we would use to get to where we needed to be. Sheena sat at the Bow end of the boat. Since there was only one paddle and I didn't want Sheena to waste energy paddling, I manned the boat on the trip to the Isle of Decision, which was upstream.

"Are you scared?" I asked her. "I know you're a Ninja but..."

"Honestly, yes." she replied quietly. "As Tiga said after the incident with Volt, if one person is allowed to fight me in the name of vengeance, then more will follow. My failure to assassinate Colette only made things worse for my people. When I brought you guys to Mizuho for the first time, I admit I was scared we'd be attacked. I know what happened was an accident but people died because I was inexperienced. The village will never forget and neither will I."

"Well spoken." I remarked as our destination came into view. "I just want you to remember one thing before we arrive."

"What's that?" she asked.

"You may be in line to succeed Chief Igaguri and you may be a graceful Ninja but you're a human being, too." I replied. "That, and it wouldn't hurt you to act feminine a bit more. I know it's not your style but sheash! You're a young lady!"

"I'm also a Ninja." she replied. "It's not good to have strings with which we could be manipulated." At this, I stopped the boat completely. Sheena looked up at me in surprise.

"True, but before you fight Kuchinawa, I'm going to tell you about one of your descendants." I said as I took a picture of a girl out of my pocket.

"Who's this?" she asked me.

"Fujibayashi Suzu." I replied. "Several thousand years from now, she will be born of your bloodline. In her time she, like you will be the one chosen to pass along the Igaguri style—at age 10. Of course, that can never happen if you're not going to open up a bit to people."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked. "Did Zelos put you up to this?"

"Of course not." I replied as I pulled the boat onto the island. "After the fight, I'll tell you."

"Sheena…it took you long enough!" Kuchinawa said when he saw us.

"So you really want to do this?" she asked him.

"Of course." he replied calmly. "Is he the observer?"

"That's right." she said. Mark Anthony Toss is the observer."

"All right, now fight!" I exclaimed before the two rushed each other. It only lasted a few moments. After two brief exchanges, Sheena floored Kuchinawa with a Pyre Seal blast.

"Admit defeat." she said as she stood over him.

"So you don't want to kill me?" He asked, more embarrassed he lost than anything. "I don't want your pity! I refuse it!" Me and Sheena watched in shock as the Crimson Ninja jumped in and pulled out his dagger, holding it to his chest.

"I lost because of my own insufficient skill." he said. "Good-bye!"

"Stop!" Sheena exclaimed in horror. I drew my sword and knocked the blade out of his hands. He was more surprised than anything.

"What are you doing?!" he asked me.

"I'm the observer, remember?" I said. "I've confirmed your loss. It's over."

"Mark..." Sheena trailed before addressing the man who hated her. "It's all right for you to hate me. It's all right for you to resent me. So please..."

"I'm being pitied by my parents' killer…I've fallen lower than I ever thought possible." he said sadly.

"Even still, it's better than dying." I remarked.

"It's possible to live a life more painful than death." he replied.

"Life and death are fundamentally different." I countered. "There is meaning in living. There is no meaning in dying. That alone is enough to make them completely incomparable."

"No meaning…in dying?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm not sure exactly how to say it, but it's because people have respect for the way someone lived that they're sad when that person dies." Sheena remarked.

"Yeah, exactly." I said with a smile. "That's why there's no meaning in dying. The meaning lies in the life you lived. Therefore…you have to live."

"Is there meaning in me living?" he asked.

"I think that as long as you are alive, you can always give your life meaning." I replied.

"I see...someday, when I'm able to think that way, I may be able to forgive you." he said to Sheena. "I shall always be watching to see if what you have said is true. Don't betray me." With that, he disappeared in a smoke screen.

"I hope he forgives you someday." I said to Sheena.

"Yeah…I hope so, too." she said. I saw a few streaks of tears on her face. If anyone was hurting the most about all this, it was her.

---

When Sheena and Mark returned with Corrine's Bell, we knew. They explained Kuchinawa wasn't dead but in time he might return to the village. Our business done, we headed for Heimdall, located deep In Ymir Forest. "There's no question." Virginia remarked. "Heimdall lies ahead. I still remember..."

"Up ahead…is the place where I was born…" Genis trailed. I noticed a look of anxiousness wash over the Sages. Of course, it was because Half-Elves were banned from entering.

"Are you guys ok?" Lloyd asked.

"They're just a bit nervous." I said. "It's been years since they were last here, after all." We continued on our way through the forest, thankful Dad had already solved the puzzle we'd normally have to do to get into the village. This allowed us to take our time as we headed for the village of the elves.

"Hey Katrin, can I ask you something?" Lloyd said as we were a bit away from the rest of the group. "I was wondering what you could tell me about this." He unfolded a poster and showed it to me. When I saw it, I felt the blood leave my face.

"Where did you get that?" I asked him.

"Celes told me I should show it to you." he replied.

"I see." I said as I held the poster. I felt the point in my life where I lost all sense of security returning to me. I felt thankful Midas and the kids weren't here to see me like this, as I never told them about the poster. "Did she tell you what's so special about it?"

"Not really." he replied. "She said it wasn't her place since its happened before she was born."

"What a smartass." I remarked. "This movie's premiere was the day she was born. The people in the movie poster—they're our Mom and Dad as teenagers. Me, Celes and Fin's parents are Ted and Ann-Marie. Fin and I were 9 years old when we saw this movie. It was in this movie that we learned about our parents' Dark Past..."

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'm sorry." I said as I handed the poster back to him. "I can't say anymore. It was a hard thing for me to understand then and I'm still not over it now. Show that poster to Fin. He'll tell you more about it."

"Alright." he said as he put it away. "Sorry if I upset you."

"No, it's quite alright." I replied before he walked away. "Everyone's got their secrets, after all..."

--

"This place...it's so mysterious." I remarked as I walked through the forest. "So, Genis. How's it feel to finally see the place where your mother and sister grew up?"

"It's really weird." he replied. "I mean, all my memories are of Iselia. Raine never talked about it either so..."

"It looks like you and I have one more thing in common." He said with a smile.

"We do, Angel?" he asked.

"For starters, we're both spellcasters." I replied with a laugh. "The other is we have discrimination we have to overcome."

"Oh, right." he said, remembering Elves dislike Half-Elves almost as much as humans. "Wait—you mean you've been discriminated against because of how you were born?"

"Yes, that's right." I remarked. "Though now that I think of it, I have more in common with Presea than anything."

"What's that?" Presea asked, apparently hearing some of what I just said.

"Oh, we were just talking about some things we have in common." Genis replied. "Angel just said he's got something in common with you."

"So I heard." she replied. "Did you want to talk about it?"

"Sure." I replied. "But before I do, I want to show you something." I began to glow as I released a large portion of my powers. When stopped, my hair was completely white and my eyes were blue.

"Whoa!" Gens gasped. "You look almost like me!"

"What you see before you is the result of experiments done on me before and after I was born." I replied. "I was born in a Human Ranch in my own world, being trained to be a soulless assassin. As I grew up, I had all these powers but I didn't know how to control them. That's when I met Mom and my destiny was forever changed..."

"When you met...?" Presea asked. "You mean Ann isn't your real mother?"

"I believe I said this before—I'm adopted." I replied. "My real mother...she was murdered in front of me. I was born and raised in a laboratory when Ann was brought to the Human Ranch. She helped me to harness and control my abilities before we escaped from that place, that hell. Her past in mine are connected as well."

"I see." Genis remarked.

"You're a very strong person, Angel." said Presea. "I don't know what I would have done if I were in your shoes."

"Neither would I." I remarked as I took an ID card out of my pocket. "Presea, do me a favor and give this to my mother."

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's my mother's ID card from when she was there." I replied. "It's special to her. Give her that and she might be willing to tell you why."

"Alright, I'll make sure she gets it." she said as she pocketed it. "If I ever need someone to talk to, I'll know who to look for."

"Who?" I asked.

"Us two, silly." Genis replied with a grin.

---

After a bit of wandering, we finally found the village of the Elves. As expected, we were stopped at the gates.

"This is the village of the elves." one of the guards said. "No half-elves may pass."

"What?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"This is a defensive measure against those who brought catastrophe to our village." the other guard said. "If you cannot accept that, then you humans may not enter either."

"You mean my family." Virginia said as she stopped forward.

"Virginia?!" everyone heard someone say. We turned to see the Elf Elder approach the gate. "We'd heard you lost your sanity and was living on Exire! By the Goddess, what are YOU doing here?"

"Well, we were chased out of the village." Raine remarked thoughtfully. "But we're here looking for information."

"We want to know about the Kharlan War from the Elves' perspective." I explained.

"Yeah." said Genis. "Did the Hero Mithos live here?"

"Talk celebrating Mithos as a hero is forbidden in this village." one of the guards said.

"Why?" Zelos asked.

"We have no need to explain." the other said. "Just do as we say."

"I know why." Virginia replied. "It's because it was a group of Half-Elves stopped the war."

"That's not even the half of it." The Elf Elder remarked. "Yet, there is reason in what you say. There is a storyteller in Latheon Gorge. Show this staff to him and he will tell you more."

"Why can't you tell us?" Colette asked.

"Because it is forbidden, silly." Fin remarked with a laugh.

"It is as he says." the Elf Elder replied. "I have no more to say to you, humans." We then took our leave without even setting foot into the village. As we turned to go, we noticed Virginia didn't move one bit.

"Don't you have something you want to say to me?" she asked the Elf Elder, whose back was to her.

"..." was his reply.

"So that's your answer?" she asked. "You, of all people should know that family comes before anything else. You've no right to call yourself the village elder you...you coward!"

"Hey!" The guard said at this outburst.

"Mother!" Raine exclaimed as she and Genis grabbed her before she could go any further.

"You're nothing but a spineless coward who let this village chase away his little sister!" Virginia exclaimed. "You're no brother of Mine! Do you hear me?!"

"Angel, Quick Jump." Mom said.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Latheon Gorge, silly." Fin replied. "Dad's been there, remember?"

"And hurry." Mark said as Raine and Genis managed to drag Virginia over to us. "It looks like Virginia just aroused all the elves!" She cast the spell just as more Elven soldiers came running. We were teleported to the very top of Latheon Gorge, much to our surprise.

"I wanted to be accurate." Angel replied with a grin.

"You just saved us 2 hours of climbing up here." said Mark. Thank you!" We entered the house, where we found the a single elf.

"Humans, Elves AND half-elves?" he remarked. "What a strange combination."

"Oh, you must be the Storyteller." Dad said. "We've come looking for information regarding the Kharlan War."

"I see..." he remarked. " Wait, I remember you. Virginia Sage?"

"That's right." she replied. "It's been many years. Have you lived here for long?"

"Yes." he replied. "I am the one who passes on the lore of the elven village to the next generation. Here, I weave various stories into the mana leaf cloth."

"What kinds of stories?" asked Presea.

"Legends of elves descending from the sky, and the birth of humans." he replied. "The rise and fall of the Balacruf Dynasty. The arrival of angels. The Giant Kharlan Tree, the Kharlan War and the story of the hero, Mithos."

"Hey, I thought the hero, Mithos was taboo in Heimdall?!" Zelos remarked.

"This is not Heimdall." the storyteller pointed out. "I live here to pass on the legends without being bound by the customs of Heimdall."

"Just who was the hero, Mithos?" asked Lloyd. "We hear his name everywhere we go."

"His name came up in the pacts with the Summon Spirits." Colette remarked.

"The legend of Mithos was involved in curing Colette's illness, too." Sheena added.

"Mithos was…born in Heimdall." the storyteller explained. "He as an outsider who was cast out of the village when the Kharlan War began. He ended the Kharlan War with his three companions so that he could return to the village."

"An outsider?" Raine asked. "Does that mean he was a half-elf?"

"Mithos was a half-elf?!" Zelos exclaimed. "That's impossible!"

"Yes, Mithos was a half-elf." said the storyteller. "Only one of his companions was human, and the others were half-elves. They were treated as outcasts but overcame that and put an end to the war."

"Then why is his name taboo in Heimdall?" Regal asked.

"It's because he's a half-elf." said Virginia

"No, that's incorrect." the storyteller replied. "It is because the hero Mithos, loved by Origin, is also a fallen hero. The ones who betrayed Origin and used the power of the magic sword given by Origin to split the world in two were none other than Mithos and his companions. Mithos Yggdrassil, his older sister Martel and their companions Yuan and Kratos Aurion. The four angels changed the nature of the world, and that is why their names are taboo in Heimdall."

---

"Yggdrasill of Cruxis is the hero, Mithos?" Lloyd asked. "And his companions were Martel, Yuan, and Kratos? That's impossible!"

"Kratos is the friend of a hero from 4,000 years ago?" asked Colette.

"Even an elf cannot live that long." Regal pointed out.

"Angels can use special combat abilities developed during the Kharlan War." the storyteller explained. "One ability uses the body's mana to alter its metabolism and stop the body's internal clock. This allows them to stop aging and become capable of living longer than elves."

"I think it is not good for one to exceed the lifespan of its species." Presea remarked.

"Funny you should say that." I said. "I'm 50 years old but my body is that of a 25 year old. The same goes for Ann and a friend of ours back home. It's likely Angel will age very slowly as well."

"I'm totally confused." said Lloyd. "None of this makes any sense."

"Really?" I asked. "There's at least one thing we know for certain. The power of Origin is involved in the splitting of the world. And the magic sword…that's the key."

"Exactly." said Raine. "We must be careful not to lose sight of the true problem. Our final goal is to save the two worlds."

"We couldn't control the Giant Kharlan Tree but if we can return the worlds to their true form…" Sheena remarked.

"At the very least, we can reform this system that vies for mana." Regal finished.

"Yeah, you're right." Lloyd remarked.

"It's a waste of time to think when you have no good ideas." Genis and Zelos said in unison.

"You guys are mean." Lloyd said dejectedly.

"Let's go on to our next destination." Presea suggested.

"Thank you very much for telling us the story." Colette said to the storyteller.

"May the Giant Kharlan Tree protect you." he replied before we took our leave.

"Now we just need a to go to Derris-Kharlan." said Mark before turning to Celes. "How did you get there, anyways?"

"I...good question." Celes said with a look of confusion. "I'm drawing a blank all of a sudden. I remember being there but I don't remember how I got there."

"I'm curious about Origin's magic sword." said Raine. "That might be a key to saving the world."

"But it will be dangerous." said Regal.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" Damien asked.

"What's that mean?" asked Leon.

"It means that if you don't face danger, you won't receive anything important." Kyle replied with a grin. "And frankly, I agree."

"Let's go to Cruxis' main base, Derris-Kharlan!" Lloyd cheered.

"But how are we going to get there?" asked Colette.

"According to the scriptures, the Tower of Salvation is the entrance." said Zelos.

"There's one on this side too, right?" asked Lloyd.

"Well yeah there is one, but unfortunately, we need my Cruxis Crystal." Zelos replied. "The Cruxis Crystal acts as the key to the Tower of Salvation. My sister has it right now. She's in the Abbey located southeast of the Toize Valley Mine."

"Okay, let's head there then." he said as the Reihards were powered up. We flew to a remote part of Tethe'alla where we found the Abbey where Sels Wilder was.

---

"Big bro—I mean I see that the Chosen is his usual self, wandering around aimlessly." Seles said when she saw Zelos.

"Yo Seles!" Zelos said, ignoring her comment. "I need that Cruxis Crystal I left with you. Give it back to me."

"As you wish." she said as she handed it to him. "After all, it rightfully belongs to the Chosen. Now, if your business here is done, I humbly request that you leave. Immediately."

"All right, all right." he said as he turned to go. "I Guess I'm as unpopular as ever. Poor me…"

"Wait…big bro…" she said.

"Hmm?" Zelos said as he turned around. "What is it, my darling little sister?"

"Nothing!" she said quickly.

"Oh…all right then." he said before leaving the room.

"Please take care…" she said.

"He couldn't hear that, you know." I pointed out.

"I didn't say anything!" she snapped. "So it doesn't matter if my big brother couldn't hear it."

"Aha, you called him big brother!" said Leon.

"N…no, I didn't!" Seles stammered, clearly flustered. "There's no way I'd have a brother like that! Now, please leave!" We went downstairs, where Zelos was waiting.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked. "I'm well-loved, aren't I?"

"She's certainly not very friendly." Lloyd remarked.

"Don't be too hard on her." Zelos replied. "She was sickly ever since she was a kid. But despite of that, her mother...Ah, never mind."

"As she left, she said 'please take care'." said Celes.

"I see." Zelos remarked. "Well, anyway, we're ready now, right? On to the Tower of Salvation."

"Wait." a new voice said. We turned to see Seles standing in the doorway.

"Take me with you." she asked Zelos.

"WHAT?" Zelos asked in shock. "You're kidding, right?"

"Of course not." she replied as she showed him her Exsphere. "With this, I'll be able to keep up with you."

"There's no way I can let you come." said Zelos. "It's too dangerous. Even with that exsphere you'll just get sick again."

"What are you talking about?" she asked him. "A man with Auburn hair cured me some time ago. I haven't felt sick for over a year."

"Kratos did that..?" Zelos asked in shock. "You're serious?!"

"Why would I lie about something like this?" she asked him. "If you don't believe me, I'm sure that guy there who was with him can tell you." Everyone turned to Dad.

"Looks like the secret is out." he said with a smile. "And yes, it's true. I spoke with the Pastor of this church. The only way she can leave is if she's taken by the Chosen. I told her to ask you to take her along so she could see the world."

"I know you're mad my mother took Dad away from you but I'm not like her." said Seles. "No, that's not it. I admit I wanted to be the Chosen but only because I looked up to you and Dad so much. I used to be envious of all the attention you were getting."

"You know, being the Chosen isn't as fun as it looks. Said Celes. "Colette would be able to tell you more on that as the Chosen of Sylverant."

"It's alright." Zelos replied. "And you're right, sis. I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you or your mother. I admit I was hoping you'd be the next chosen and not me. Now, I know you and I are just victims of Cruxis' Inferiority Complex. There's no way I'm letting my sister remain here as a casualty."

"They you'll...!" she exclaimed. He opened his arms and she jumped into them. The Wilders were together at last.

"This is beautiful." said Virginia. "It's one thing for me, an Elf being the Mother of Half-Elves. It's another when a Human, who happens to be a Chosen accepts his sister, who happens to be a Half-Elf in Tethe'alla."

"So that raises the Half-Elf count in our group to four." said Raine. "Seles, Genis, Yuan and myself. Mother is an Elf and the rest of you are humans."

"Some of us are Half-Human." Abyssion replied. "My children and I are Nephilim."

"True enough." I said with a laugh. "Now that we're done here, let's be on our way."

"Yeah!" Lloyd cheered. We headed for the Tower of Salvation, located in the center of the world. Zelos held up his Cruxis Crystal, making a staircase appear. We ascended to the top, where we met up with Hannah.

"It's about time you all got here." she said. "Kratos and Yuan are waiting inside."

"Coming here reminds me of my journey to regenerate the world." said Colette.

"But this time, we're to infiltrate Cruxis." said Aurina. "Quite a turn of events if I do say so."

"I'm curious to see what the design of Tethe'alla's Tower of Salvation is like." said Raine. "Now, Zelos! Open the door! Quickly!"

"You know, you can get really scary sometimes." Zelos remarked as he put his hand on the Oracle Stone. Me, Celes, Katrin and Jenna simply laughed before we all went inside, only to get the shock of our lives.

---

"Ghastly…" Regal trailed as we looked at all the floating coffins.

"Such a sad place… Presea remarked.

"Wait a minute--is this really Tethe'alla?" Sheena asked.

"Yeah, it looks identical to Sylverant's Tower of Salvation!" Genis exclaimed.

"My body…I can't stop shaking." said Colette. "This is the same place!"

"Lloyd, remember this?" Raine said as she examined a broken pillar.

"That's…wait, I broke that!" Lloyd exclaimed as he recalled when we fought before.

"The two worlds are connected here." we heard the voice of Yuan say. "Of course it's the same place." He and Yuan then appeared before us.

"Kratos and Yuan…it's you again." said Lloyd. "Are you really two of Mithos' companions from 4,000 years ago?"

"Since you figured that out, it saves us the time to explain." said Kratos.

"So, what's the situation on Derris-Kharlan?" I asked.

"It's as we feared—Mithos is being held against his will in Welgaia." Yuan replied. "Originally, Mithos joined up with you to find out how much you knew about the world and to figure out if you could find a way to undo what we created 4,000 years ago."

"Shortly after Nebilim was resurrected, the real Mithos was replaced with the child Aurina gave birth to." said Kratos. "The possessed Abyssion has taken control of Cruxis. We managed to evade detection in our search for Mithos."

"And?" Abyssion asked.

"He's alive." Yuan replied. "When we found him, he'd been tortured by Abyssion. We helped him lock himself in his castle where Abyssion can't reach him."

"I see." Raine remarked. "Well, we have some business in Derris-Kharlan. Would you be able to take us there."

"That...would be hard." said Hannah. "Though, I do know of a way." I walked over to the Platform where I left our other swords and broke the barrier. The three of us then reclaimed our blades.

"The Trinity Blade, yes?" Mark guessed.

"Sorry but no." I replied as several dozen Angels appeared and surrounded the others.

"I would advise against resisting, for there will be no mercy this time." said Kratos.

"What the...?!" Katrin exclaimed.

"You betray us AGAIN?!" Sheena exclaimed.

"Do as we say and you won't be harmed." said Hannah before turning to the Angel next to her. "Take them away."

---

"Are we still alive?" Lloyd asked as we sat in a cell separate from the females.

"Well, it looks like we'll have our lives at least until they finish preparing Colette's treatment." Zelos remarked. "Apparently, she's useless the way she is now."

"Maybe we were tricked." said Genis. "Could they all be working together?"

"Actually, this WAS their plan." I replied. "It's not like they could've just let us in."

"I really want to know why I keep getting captured and getting thrown into jail all the time." said Lloyd angrily.

"You sure you haven't even doing anything to deserve it?" Zelos asked him.

"We should just be glad we have our lives." said Fin.

"This thing's built solid as a rock!" Lloyd said after trying the door. "And I can't open the lock either."

"Same here." said Sheena from the other cell. "It won't budge at all."

"Move." Regal said. "AURA CANNON!" The energy attack completely destroyed the cell bars. The Symphonia guys were shocked beyond comprehension.

"Nicely done, Regal." Fin said with a smile.

"How did you do that?" Lloyd asked after we freed the girls.

"I originally specialized in fighting with my hands, not my feet." he explained. "And since Exspheres amplify their user's abilities far above their maximum limits, this result is to be expected. I swore I would never fight with these hands again. This time, I used them in order to save you, Lloyd. You're going to unite the worlds, right?

"Yeah, that's right." he replied. "All right, everybody, grab what you can and let's get out of here!" We took the nearby transporter to another area. There, we saw hundreds of Angels.

"They're all angels!" Lloyd marveled. "We're gonna get caught if we keep wandering

around here."

"You're right." Raine remarked. "We'll pretend to be prisoners."

"Prisoners?" asked Genis.

"Some of us have wings." I said as I made my wings appear. Celes, Zelos, Colette, Damien, Aurina, Jenna and Angel followed suit.

"Aurina and I have been here so everyone knows our faces as well." Damien remarked.

We walked down a tunnel into a large area. Here, we ran into Hannah, Dad and Abyssion. "Sorry about before." said Hannah. "It was the only we'd be able to get all of you in here."

"Don't worry about it." Celes replied. "Hey, where are the others?"

"They're securing an escape route for us." Abyssion replied. "We'll meet up with them shortly."

"Hey, look at that." Genis said, noting the transporter in the distance.

"A giant transporter, perhaps?" Raine remarked.

"That leads to Mithos' Castle." Hannah replied. "He sealed himself inside so Abyssion can't get him. If he dies, Nebilim will be able to use the Eternal Sword."

"That was very smart of him." Virginia remarked. "I hope he'll be ok."

"How are we supposed to get back to the ground?" asked Leon.

"There's a transporter near here we just opened." said Abyssion. "We'll use that." We walked town another tunnel and came to a large area.

"This part looks familiar..." Celes remarked.

"Oh, that's right." said Raine. "You were here before, too."

"What's this?" Genis said as he walked over to a computer terminal.

"Looks like some kind of information terminal." Zelos remarked.

"Oh, and it's working." I said as I powered it up. "I'd have asked Colette to jump start it otherwise." I read what was on the screen:

"_A terminal to the surface is located in the center area. Please use the emergency route located in the rear of the Idea District while it is under maintenance."_

"That's where we're going." said Hanna as she pointed to the Transporter behind us. "Let's go, everyone."

"Wait." Raine said as she pressed something on the console. "This seems to be this city's data bank."

"Professor, can you operate it?" asked Lloyd.

"I'll try." she replied before pressing a few buttons. I stood next to her in case she needed help. "Got it! Now we can get data from this terminal.

"Click on the one about Derris-Kharlan." said Katrin. When it came up, Katrin read it:

"_Derris-Kharlan is protected by the force field emitted from the Eternal Sword. If this force field is removed, Derris-Kharlan will be released from the planet's gravity, and will wander in space again as a comet."_

We then moved into the one about the World Prolongation:

"_The world was split in two in order to keep the mana depletion to a minimum and to sustain the world and the seed of the Giant Tree. Additionally, the usage of the Summon Spirits to guard the Mana Link and restrict the flow, keeps the world from prospering. Great prosperity leads to the possible development of magitechnology, which causes meaningless wars. The World Prolongation Project,_

_proposed and put into effect by the leader Yggdrassil, is an outstanding system to maintain the world."_

Finally checked the one concerning the Eternal Sword:

"_The magic sword was given to the leader Yggdrassil when he formed the pact with Origin. Its immense power is able to control time and space. It is said to be the source of the leader Yggdrassil's power. The leader Yggdrassil was able to split the world with the power of the Eternal Sword. If this sword were to be lost, the leader Yggdrassil's power would diminish and Welgaia would surely face its doom as well."_

"That's some pretty mind-numbing stuff." Lloyd remarked.

"We've obtained some very valuable information." said Mom. Everyone, we shouldn't stay here long. Let's escape through that emergency route Hannah and Abyssion mentioned."

---

"Wait—what's this?!" Mark suddenly exclaimed as he looked at the console. We turned and saw four more topics appear in the Database: The Trinity Blade, The Champions of Earth, The Guardians and The Chosen of Earth."

"This explains why Yuan wasn't too surprised when he first met you." said Lloyd. "They have data on you guys!"

"Dad, did you know about this?" he asked.

"No, but it seems this Data is fairly new." he remarked as he took a look.

"I'll open the file about the Trinity Blade first." said Mark.

"_The Trinity Blade is a magical sword created when a by a Sword of Time, a Sword of Space and a Sword of Power combine. Its powers rumored to be even greater than that of the Eternal Sword, the three blades were sealed inside the Tower of Salvation by members of the Seven Seraphim along with the Eternal Sword."_

"Where did they find all this out about or swords?" Dad asked Abyssion.

"Your guess is as good as mine." he replied.

"That's...quite detailed." I said. "Let's see what they have on the Champions of Earth."

"I, too am interested in that file." said Hannah before she began to read it:

"_The three newest High-Ranking members of Cruxis—Ted Toss, Hannah Patterson and Abyssion Highwind—are known on the home world as the Champions of Earth. As such, they are the most powerful swordsmen and woman on their planet and were recruited into Cruxis shortly after their arrival in Sylverant. After sealing their weapons inside the Tower of Salvation, the three disappeared, their wareabouts unknown."_

"This must have been added not too long after we came to Tethe'alla." said Fin. "More so if they knew this much about the Trinity Blade."

"And now for what they know about the Guardians." said Mark as he opened the article:

"_The Guardians are weapons of Divine Origin. The exact number and diversity of the Guardians are unknown but there are over a dozen known kinds. They are the primary weapons Humans who came from Earth. Unlike the Humans of Sylverant and Tethe'alla, these humans are a force to be reckoned with and are never to be underestimated. Their objectives are as of yet unknown."_

"Yep, it looks like they've been doing a damned good job keeping tabs on us." I said as pictures of us appeared on the screen. Following that was footage of us fighting in Sylverant and Tethe'alla. "At least they know not to take us lightly."

"Well said." said Mom. "Now let's see the file about The Chosen of Earth.

"Yes, I want to see what it says about Aurina and Celes." said Zelos excitedly. Aurina kicked him between the legs, causing him to curl up in a ball and in pain, too.

"Thank you." I said before we did a high five.

"_Of the Humans from Earth, two of them were chosen for an experimental project proposed and carried out Yuan. In it, DNA was extracted from Yggdrassil and the Great Seed and implanted into the womb of the two: Celes Toss and Aurina Highwind. The project was done as a means of reviving Martel in the event the current Chosen of Sylverant is assassinated. When born, their offspring will be the most powerful Half-Elves ever created."_

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." I said as I felt dizzy.

"Wait—that said Yuan was the one who came up with the project." Alex pointed out. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I don't know but I plan to ask him when we see him." I replied before turning to leave.

---

"Okay, let's go before anyone sees us." said Lloyd as we reached the transporter.

"No, it looks like they already found us." said Regal. We turned to see two dozen Angels.

"That's as far as you go!" One of them said.

"You're should not have come here." a second sneered.

"It's the Chosen of Sylverant, Tethe'alla AND Earth!" a third exclaimed. "All four of them!"

"Damn it, let's just get out of here!" said Mark.

"Everyone go on ahead!" I said as I drew the Time Blade. "I'll hold them here!"

"Are you sure?" asked Celes.

"I'll catch up with you before you leave the tower." I replied. "Now get going before it's too late!" Everyone took their leave, exiting through the transporter. After that, I broke it.

"Fool!" One of the Angels exclaimed. "You dare defy Lord Yggdrassil?!"

"That isn't any way to talk to the Champion of Courage." I remarked as I began to summon. "Come forth, Leviathan!" It rose from below and sent the Angels flying with a snap of its tail. After that, I got on its back and started for the entrance to Mithos' Castle, sword ready.

"**You've for guts, I'll give you that."** I heard a voice say. I looked up to see the possessed Abyssion floating in front of me. **"Now I shall splatter them all over Derris-Kharlan!"** With a blast of electricity, he took out Leviathan. I barely had enough time to jump away to safety and open my wings before he was upon me. I parried his attacks and knocked him back before regaining my footage. He just looked at me in surprise.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "We both know my sword alone isn't enough to kill you. I can stop you from moving, though!" I fired a beam of energy from the Time Blade, which hit him as he was casting Indignation Judgement. It turned him into stone. As luck would have it, he also happened to be standing on the transporter to Mithos' Castle. "Well, it's not like anyone will go in there." I remarked as I turned to go. I flew down a chute that led outside. Since I was using my Angelic abilities, I could fly in space at high speeds. I flew to the Tower of Salvation and arrived just as the others met up with Yuan and Kratos.

"This is the sword Yggdrassil struck me with…" Lloyd said as he took another look at the Eternal Sword.

"Could this be the Eternal Sword?" Virginia asked.

"Haha, no way." Seles replied. "Nobody would leave a sword that important in a place like this."

"How about we take it to Heimdall and show it to the Elder?" Lloyd suggested.

"You have not the right." I said, making my presence known to everyone. "Only a Half-Elf, Kratos, Zelos, Hannah, Abyssion or myself can use the Eternal Sword."

---

"In other words, a waste of effort." a new voice said. We all turned to see Yggdrassil standing above us.

"Yggdrasil!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"The Eternal Sword cannot be touched by those who lack the right." said the Cruxis Leader.

"The right?" asked Lloyd.

"He's talking about the pact with Origin." Sheena explained. "That's the sword Yggdrassil tricked Origin into giving him!"

"You really are a pathetic bunch." Yggdrassil said with a sigh. "It matters not. Origin is under Kratos' seal. Either way, it is impossible for a mere human to wield that sword and without the power of the Eternal Sword, you cannot reunite the worlds. Your journey is futile."

"You're the one who's making futile attempts to bring back the dead!" Lloyd refuted. "Besides, what does splitting the world in two even have to do with that?!"

"The worlds still exist only because they were separated into two." Yggdrassil explained.

"No, it's because of being split in two that there's not enough mana and countless people are suffering!" Lloyd shot back.

"Think for a moment." Yggdrassil said calmly. "Why is there a shortage of mana? Well? What do you think, my fellow kinsman?"

"Me?" Genis asked in surprise. "Um…because the development of magitechnology resulted in a large consumption of mana?"

"Yes…and that magitechnology led to a great war." The Cruxis leader remarked. "War consumes an abhorrent amount of mana."

"Don't change the subject." Lloyd spat. "There's a mana shortage because you won't let the Great Seed germinate."

"I am not changing the subject." Yggdrassil shot back, a little annoyed. "Even if the Giant Tree were to be revived, another war would make it wither and die. Wars are caused by two opposing forces. That is why I split the world in two: To isolate the powers that caused that foolish Kharlan War into the worlds of Sylverant and Tethe'alla."

"By alternating between prosperity and dearth, the development of magitechnology is subdued." said Yuan.

"So that was your plan." Raine remarked.

"Although, at the moment, Tethe'alla has prospered for a little too long." Kratos said thoughtfully.

"You're sacrificing the Great Seed just to save Martel." Lloyd pointed out.

"That's right." Hannah said before adding. "The same way you abandoned the declining world of Sylverant in order to save Colette."

"That's…!" Collette exclaimed.

"What you're doing is exactly the same." Abyssion remarked.

"No, it's not!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Yes it is." Yggdrassil replied.

"No it's not!" Genis exclaimed. "Lloyd isn't like you! Lloyd is looking for a way to save both Colette and the world! You're a coward who gave up!"

"It is the same thing. Yggdrassil insisted. "I am trying to create a world without discrimination. That is the way to save the world."

"A world without discrimination?" Lloyd asked in shock. "That's…!"

"People fear and hate what is not normal." said Dad. "They are scared of those that are different. As a child, Ann and I found that out firsthand."

"Then the solution is for everyone to become the same." said Yggdrassil. "By using the Exspheres to eliminate the different bloods that flow through elves and humans, everyone on this earth will become the same lifeless beings. Discrimination will vanish. That is the grand age I strive for."

"Everyone the same…" Seles trailed. "Is that even possible...?"

"Yes." said the Cruxis Leader. "Desians and Cruxis both exist for this purpose. The conflicts between the races born from discrimination will disappear, Genis."

"People will stop treating us differently?" Seles asked as she and Genis stepped forward. "Really?"

"Genis! Seles Don't fall for it!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Think about how the Exspheres are made! They're made at the cost of people's lives, like Marble. Don't you see what's wrong with that?!"

"With revolution comes sacrifice." Yggdrassil said before teleporting in front of us. "If you cannot understand that, then you deserve to die with the others. However, first you'll hand over the four Chosen."

"Wait—arr you really Yggdrassil or are you Mithos' clone?" Yuan suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Yggdrassil asked him.

"..." was Kratos' response.

"I don't know who you think you are but you are NOT the Leader of Cruxis!" Dad exclaimed. "The real one locked himself deep inside Derris-Kharlan."

"One would think you'd be aware of the fact that Yggdrassil was cloned." said Yuan. "Weather or not you're the real thing or not is another issue entirely."

"And how do you propose we find out?" asked Kyle.

"I'll handle this." said Ann as she began to glow. She suddenly stopped and looked shocked.

"What is it?" asked Dad.

"He's...he's the real deal!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, crap..." I trailed.

"How did you get out of your castle?" Dad demanded. "I turned Abyssion to stone on the transporter leading to it."

"As the Leader of Cruxis, obviously I would have more than one means of getting in and out of my castle." he replied with a grin. "And Yuan, I'm very disappointed with you. I had a feeling Kratos was going to turn his back on me but not you. A certain someone is going to be very upset when I tell her."

"I'm going with what I believe to be right." Yuan replied. "Just as you have your ideas, I have ideals of my own."

"Yeah!" Celes exclaimed. "And I don't know what's going on but I'm not going with you!"

"You have no choice." Yggdrassil replied before attacking.

---

"I really don't want to hurt you, ya know." I said as I unsheathed the Time Blade. "But then again if I don't stop you here and now, we'd have problems down the road."

"Do you really think that blunt weapon can harm me?" Yggdrassil taunted.

"Uh-Oh." said Mark as he took a step back.

"Since you insist, allow me to show you how blunt it is!" I said before rushing him.

"Holy Lance!" he said as he cast a spell at me.

"Aqua Edge!" I said with a swing of my sword. It canceled out Yggdrassil's attack. Another swing sent him flying. I jumped up to meet him in the air. "Waterfall!" II said before hitting him with a flurry of slashes, ending with a down thrust that sent him crashing into the ground. Upon landing, I unfolded my wings.

"Now!" Angel said before using Thunder Arrow on Yggdrassil. At that moment, Pronyma appeared.

"Lord Yggdrassil!" she exclaimed at the sight of her master being abused. "You little vermin! Some of you may be one of us but you shall pay for your treachery!"

"Genis, look out!" Leon exclaimed as Pronyma prepared to launch a Dark Sphere. At the last moment, Yggdrassil took the hit, dropping something in the process.

"What the...?!" Yuan exclaimed in shock.

"Lord Yggdrassil!" Pronyma exclaimed, scared of what might happen next.

"Pronyma, why are you here?" Yggdrassil demanded.

"I was just attacked by Nebilim's Minions." she replied. "The Angels are holding them back but I know not for how long."

"Understood." he replied. "We have no choice but to abandon Derris-Kharlan for now. Only you, myself, Kratos and Yuan can enter the are where the Great Seed is, anyway."

"Is this the end of Cruxis?" asked Virginia.

"Not as long as I exist." the Cruxis leader replied. "I can't believe I'm saying this but for the time being we're going to have to work together to stop Abyssion. If allowed to do as he pleases, no even Origin will be able to stop him."

"You've got to be kidding!" Zelos exclaimed. "What makes you think we're going to join forces with you?"

"If you desire proof, meet me in front of Altessa's house later tonight." he replied. "Everything will be clear then. I have a small matter to attend to before then but I will be waiting there for you." With that, he and Pronyma vanished.

---

"Why did he let us go?" Lloyd asked. "And what is going on?"

"Angel, is this...!" Genis suddenly exclaimed as he picked up Mithos' Panpipe.

"No question it's his." she replied.

"What's wrong, Genis?" Presea asked.

"We found this." Angel replied as she showed everyone the Pan pipe. Everyone except Kratos, Yuan, Mom, Celes, Dad and Hannah looked in shock.

"What's Yggdrassil doing with that?" asked Raine. "Wait—does this mean what I think it does?"

"That Mithos and Yggdrassil are the same person?" Yuan guessed. "Yes, it does. Mithos' full name is Mithos Yggdrassil."

"I'd say that's proof enough that we can trust him." Fin remarked.

"Agreed." said Regal. "He wouldn't reveal his true identity and protect Genis like that otherwise."

"So if that's the real Mithos, who are the Mithos and Martel that have been staying with Altessa all this time?"Sheena asked.

"I think it's time we find out." Kratos suggested. "Let's go."

---

"Altessa!" Lloyd exclaimed as we burst into the house. "Get away from those two!"

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Those are not the real Mithos and Martel Yggdrassil." Yuan replied calmly. "We just spoke with the real Mithos and the real Martel has been dead for 4,000 years."

"I'm only going to say this once." said Mark as he pointed the end of his sword at' Martel'. "Who are you, really?"

"We have no idea what you're talking about." 'Mithos' replied. "We are Mithos and Martel."

"Wrong answer!" Mark exclaimed. He raised his sword to hit him but I grabbed his arm.

"That's enough." I said before standing in front of him. "I've let this go on far enough."

"You know what's going on?" asked Mark. "Who are they?"

"This girl you've known as Martel...is my daughter." I replied. "She's the child I gave birth to when we were in the Tower of Salvation for the first time. I didn't know why Mithos cloned her until we were in Welgaia just now."

"And this Mithos is your son, Aurina?" asked Katrin.

"Yes, he is." she replied. "Mithos cloned himself in preparation of his passing. The two were give his and Martel's memories and experiences so they'd be like the real thing. Afterwards, Mithos put his clone in a stasis chamber and joined us in Ozette with his sister's clone."

"Unlike the past Chosen, Martel's clone can be merged with her original's consciousness." Yuan explained. "Mithos took her from Derris-Kharlan so she could see what the world was like before merging her consciousness with his sister's."

"And that's when he had a change of heart." Mithos' clone said. "When he saw how strong Lloyd's convictions were, he could not bring himself merge his sister's consciousness with her clone. Doing so would kill the Great Seed."

"And that's when he sent you in his place." Raine finished. "I see. I guess we'll have to ask the real Mithos for the rest." Everyone sat down to dinner, which Katrin's family cooked for us. During this time, we decided to wait before figuring out what to do with the Mithos and Martel clones.

"Now I feel sleepy all of a sudden." said Lloyd after all the food was gone. "I'm going to bed."

"It's not good for your digestion if you sleep right after eating." said Virginia.

"Are you all right?" I asked him. "Your fatigue may have finally caught up with you."

"I'm fine." he replied. "I'm just going to lie down for a little while."

"I'm going to go outside for a bit." Mark said as he went to the door.

"What is it?" Dad asked him.

"I just need to think by myself for a bit." he replied. "I'll be on the other side of the door."

---

And so ends Chapter 23. WHEW! That was a lot of writing I did in a span of 7 days! Next chapter you'll get a plot twist that'll no doubt top the story of the same name. Of course, I'm writing as I go along but that's how it should be, yes?

The next chapter is a long way off since I am doing ALL the Flanoir Scenes. Yes, ALL of them. I'm going to be in New York City this weekend so I'll likely begin working on it on Tuesday.


	24. Chapter 24: Heroes of the Kharlan War

---

Chapter 24: Heroes of the Kharlan War

---

"So, what's on your mind?" I asked Lloyd as he came outside. "We all know you did that to give me some space."

"I was just thinking about everything that's happened." he said. "And to think, the final Battle will take place tomorrow. It's just a lot to think about, you know?"

"Yeah, but this time it's not with Cruxis." I replied. "We're taking on a Dark God."

"So what do you think about Mithos Yggdrassil?" he asked me.

"I'd say the future is uncertain now." I replied with a laugh. "As of our trip to Welgaia, I have no idea what's going to happen next."

"Are you serious?!" he exclaimed.

"Yep." I replied with a laugh. "What would normally happen about now is about to be reenacted." as if on cue, Celes came out of the house. We looked and saw Yuan along with Kratos and some Renegades approach. I got up and sat on a nearby rock.

"What's going on?" Lloyd asked.

"Lloyd finds out the truth about Kratos, take one!" I said. "And, action!"

"Dad!" Lloyd exclaimed. "The Renegades and Cruxis are enemies, aren't they? So why...?"

"Quiet." Yuan snapped. "Of course, the drug should have everyone sleeping soundly."

"Drug?!" Lloyd exclaimed. "What's going on? If you've done anything to my dad, I'll tear every last one of you to pieces!"

"Now, now, is that the way to act when you're about to meet your father for the first time?" Yuan asked him.

"So it was you." Kratos said. "You were the assassin who tried to kill me at Hima."

"Kratos, if you value your son's life at all, do as I say." said Yuan.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked him.

"Release Origin's seal. Yuan demanded. "Otherwise, Lloyd will die right here."

"Wait—this isn't in the script..." I remarked as I looked over some notes.

"No...I can't believe that… I won't believe that!" Lloyd said as he stared in shock.

"How does it feel to have your own son reject you like that?" Yuan asked Kratos. "I'd guess from your attitude, you don't plan on releasing Origin. If that's the way it's going to be, then you'll just have to die!"

"One move, and your son dies!" Celes said as she pointed her sword at him.

"You changed once you got a family." Yuan continued. "Just like that time fifteen years ago. When Anna was transformed into a monster, you lost your ability to fight back. If she hadn't been together with you, she would have never turned out like that. Such an unfortunate woman."

"Don't mock my mom!" Lloyd said as he walked over to Yuan, sword drawn.

"Demon Fang!" Celes said as she fired an energy attack at Lloyd. Before anyone could react, Kratos took the attack for him.

"Dad!" Lloyd exclaimed in shock.

"Are you all right?" Kratos asked. "Good." With that, he fell on his face.

"Cut, cut!" I yelled. "Celes, what the hell! You weren't supposed to hit him! Yuan was!"

"What's going on?" Colette asked as she came out of the house with Aurina.

"Someone get Virginia, Raine or Katrin!" Yuan exclaimed.

"Whoa, you really messed him up Celes." I remarked after looking Kratos over.

"You know, I hate what Cruxis does." Lloyd said Yuan. "Too many people have died. People from Sylverant, people from Tethe'alla. Desians and Renegades and members of Cruxis. They're all victims. I refuse to accept the idea that it's okay to sacrifice people for a cause. It's not okay to lose your life. No life should be born for the sole purpose of dying. I won't sacrifice the world to save Colette. I'm not

giving up until I find a way for everyone to live."

"Wow, that was an amazingly corny speech. Congratulations." A familiar voice said. Everyone turned to see Mithos Yggdrassil appear.

"Mithos?" Lloyd gasped. Without answering, he blasted all the Renegades before hitting Yuan as well.

"Did you think I didn't notice what was going on?" Mithos asked Yuan. "How pathetic. I had Pronyma keep tabs on Kratos since it seemed he was leaking information to Lloyd's group."

"Dammit, Yggdrassil!" Yuan exclaimed. "Celes accidentally knocked out Kratos! I think we're going to have to redo this."

"On second thought, keep going." I said as everyone else came out of the house.

"Really?!" Mithos asked.

"Of course." said Dad. "This just happens to be my favorite part."

"That was a pretty amusing scheme you had going." Mithos said as he approached Yuan. "Hard to believe those filthy Renegades that were always getting in my way were actually led by you. If it weren't for my sister's wishes to spare your life, I'd kill you right now." And that's when he started using Yuan for soccer practice.

"Zelos, you getting this?" Hannah asked.

"Of course!" he replied as he snapped some pictures.

"Ahahahaha, haha… Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Mithos laughed as he continued to kick him.

"Stop it!" Lloyd exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Mithos…so it's true…" Genis trailed.

"That you shouldn't have trusted me?" Mithos guessed. "Good guess, Genis. Because I didn't trust you either!" He launched a fireball at Genis but Altessa took it instead.

"AH!" Everyone but me exclaimed.

"MITHOS…SAVED ME…" Tabitha said.

"Shut up!!" The Cruxis leader snapped, blasting her as well.

"How could you do that?!" Raine exclaimed. "You even risked your life to save her!"

"Mithos, why?" His clone asked. "Why are you doing this? How could you hurt Tabatha and Altessa! You got along so well with them!"

"That doll looks so disturbingly like my sister." he replied. "I never could stand her! She's a failed vessel who couldn't accept my sister's soul! Just looking at her makes me sick!"

"Well, what does that make me?" Martel's clone asked. Mithos looked in surprise. He clearly didn't expect both of them to be present.

"Umm...can we stop now?" Yuan asked between gasps.

"We're done filming, anyways." Zelos said as he put away the camera. At that moment, Pronyma beamed in.

"Lord Yggdrassil, your wounds are not yet healed." she replied. "I still can't believe you went along with that." Mithos than transformed into his Yggdrassil form.

"As you can see, I'm fine." he said to her before turning to Lloyd. "No life should be born for the sole purpose of dying? What do you think those Exspheres are that you're using?"

"Point taken." Hannah remarked.

"Are you all right?" Lloyd asked Yuan.

"Yeah, but I didn't expect Mithos to really kick me." he replied as he rubbed his backside.

"You planned to form the pact with Origin and use the Eternal Sword." Lloyd said.

"Yes, and we would use the Mana Cannon to destroy that infernal tower, allowing the Great Seed to sprout." he replied. "That was our plan when we talked in Hima."

"You...didn't approve of my Age of Half-elves?" Yggdrassil asked in surprise.

"That plan was the result of your twisted perception of Martel's last wish." he replied curtly. "It's not what she truly desired."

"What was Martel's last wish?" asked Colette.

"She said she wanted to see a world free from discrimination." Yuan replied sadly as he got to his feet.

"You shouldn't move." Dad warned.

"I just need some ice." he replied. "Trust me—I've been kicked a lot harder than that."

"Is Dad really the only one who can release Origin's seal?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes." I replied. "The seal will be released upon freeing the mana from his body."

"If he does that, he's likely to lose his life." Regal remarked as we stared at Kratos' unmoving form.

"The seal is based on his own life." Yggdrassil confirmed.

"Kratos' life…" Lloyd trailed. "Are you saying we have to trade his life in order to get the Eternal Sword?!"

"Lloyd, you won't be able to use the Eternal Sword." Yggdrassil explained. "It does not require the power of a summoner. You must merely be acknowledged by Origin. However, there is one thing you cannot do anything about."

"Only half-elves can wield it." Yuan finished. "That sword was created by Origin for Mithos."

"What?! " he exclaimed.

"It was with the power of the Eternal Sword that I split the world in two." Yggdrassil replied. "As a proof our bond, you could say."

---

"Oh…Lloyd…" Altessa said as we stood over him.

"Sorry about before." Yggdrassil said. "I didn't expect you to take the hit."

"Please, Professor!" Colette pleaded. "Please save him!"

We're doing everything we can." Virginia said as she, Raine and Katrin used Healing Arts on him.

"Mithos…why?" Genis asked. "Why did you hit him so hard?" The next morning, we realized we'd need to get a doctor for Altessa. We stood outside trying to figure out where to get one.

"Of all the freak accidents..." Sheena scoffed.

"Is Altessa…going to be all right?" Presea asked as Raine, Virginia and Katrin came out of the house.

"We managed to administer first aid using the Unicorn Horn but we should bring a doctor as soon as we can." Virginia replied.

"Yeah, and unlike us, Altessa isn't using an Exsphere." Hannah remarked. "Healing arts won't be very effective."

"I know a good doctor." said Sheena. "We called him from Flanoir when our chief suffered a serious injury."

"Then let's go!" Lloyd urged as we powered up the Reihards. Soon after arriving in Flanoir, some members of the group vanished.

"Where's Zelos and Seles?" Lloyd asked.

"Mark Anthony, Aurina, Celes and Ann are missing, too." I remarked.

"Why are they wandering off at a time like this?" Sheena demanded.

"We don't have a choice." Lloyd said as we headed for the Doctor's office. It was here we found the others.

---

"Aionis is that weird rock they had me ingest." Zelos remarked. "Use that to make the ring of the pact…hmm. Can I really do this?"

"You've got no choice." I replied. "This is for the best."

"There you guys are!" Genis exclaimed. Why are you over here?"

"The hospital's right here." Mark replied. "Come on, hurry up."

"Oh, my, if it isn't Sheena." The doctor said calmly when he saw us. "It's been a while. How is everyone in Mizuho?"

"It's an emergency!" she exclaimed. "We have someone who's about to die!"

"Oh, my, it sounds like things aren't quiet and peaceful." the doctor replied sarcastically.

"Stop standing there chatting and hurry up and get ready to go!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"It'll cost you." he replied.

"How can you talk about money at a time like this?" Lloyd asked in disgust.

"I'm not running my business as a charity." the Doctor replied.

"We'll pay anything So please, hurry…!" Sheena exclaimed.

"You're taking advantage of people when they're in need." Lloyd said, stating the obvious. "Fine, we'll give you as much as you like! How much do you want?"

"Let's make it payment upon success." the doctor replied calmly. "First, I need to see the patient. Travel expenses and hazard pay will be billed separately."

"Here." I said as I threw him a bag of Gald. He pocketed it greedily before composing himself.

"Then please give me an escort." he said.

"We'll take him." said Midas. "We'll be borrowing your Reihard for the doctor as well, Lloyd."

"Yeah, okay." Lloyd replied. "I guess I'll wait here in this city." The rest of us when the the Inn to spend the night.

---

As luck would have it, I ended up getting a room with Lloyd. "Who is it?" I asked when we heard a knock at the door. "Come on in." The door opened and in came Colette, Kratos and Genis.

"Lloyd." his father said.

"Lloyd, did we wake you?" asked Colette. "It's snowing outside."

"Let's go outside for a bit!" Genis suggested. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Sure." Lloyd replied as we got up. When we went downstairs, I was surprised to see the entire Symphonia Team there.

"What's going on?' I asked.

"Is it ok if we talk with Lloyd alone for a bit?" Sheena asked me.

"Sure, I guess." I replied.

"Hmm...looks like you were right." Dad said as he came from outside. "They're all going to talk at the same time."

"Let's leave them be." I suggested. "We don't know for sure what's going to happen tomorrow."

"That, and we have some things to talk about." Dad replied. "Come with me." He led me to a room in the basement where the rest of our group was gathered. It was then that I realized this was the first time all of us were together and in the same place.

"Now that everyone's here, we can get started." said Hannah when she saw us come in. "First off, it's obvious by now that by coming this far, everyone here intends to see this story reach its end. Otherwise you wouldn't have come back when Disc 1 ended."

"Abyssion, Hannah and myself discussed it in Welgaia and we've decided either Celes or Mark Anthony will wield the Trinity Blade." said Dad. "We can't wield it ourselves and they're the only other people of our group with the skills needed to wield it."

"How are we going to figure out which of us will use it?" asked Celes.

"We're still figuring that one out." Hannah replied with a laugh. "When we know then you'll know."

"We could just duel for it, you know." I suggested. "Obviously not to the death but--"

"No." Dad, Mom, Ann, Abyssion, Celes and Hannah said at the same time.

"You two are not wasting your energy in that manner." said Dad. "The winner would be too badly wounded to be very effective."

"And we have no intention of watching you beat each other half to death." Mom and Terra said in unison.

"Besides, we all know I'm more than a match for Mark Anthony." said Celes.

"Keep telling yourself that." I remarked.

"For the upcoming battle, everyone should give it their all." Dad said in a bid to change the subject. "I turned Abyssion to stone but the effect was only temporary. He's no doubt strengthening his defenses in Welgaia as well as around the Tower of Salvation. We'll need to hit him and hit him hard."

"Sounds like my kind of plan." said Fin with a grin. "Finally, a battle where we can go all out!"

"I know I've been looking forward to this myself." Angel remarked. "I'm going to show them the power of my Terra Magic!"

"We'll forge the Trinity Blade at Origin's Seal." said Abyssion. "Until then, no one should mention this to any members of the Symphonia Team."

"Huh?" Katrin said suddenly as she looked at the window. In the next instant, Fin was through it and dragging someone into the room.

"What the—Mithos?!" Celes exclaimed.

"Nope, it's just his clone." said Ann.

"How much did you hear?" Dad asked him.

"I was just walking by, I swear." he replied, clearly scared senseless. "All I heard was 'No one should mention this to any members of the Symphonia Team'."

"If so, then you have nothing to worry about." said Hannah. "Obviously, we're going over the forthcoming battle ourselves."

"We're not the types to leave room for error." Abyssion remarked. "Tomorrow, perfection is demanded and so that is what we intend to give."

---

"Talen!" Katrin exclaimed the next morning. "How's Altessa?"

"He's doing well at the moment." he replied. "We left the doctor there to look after him. I brought your Reihard back too, Lloyd."

"But how come you, Evelyn and Rocky are here?" Fin asked him.

"That's the thing I was going tell you about." he replied. "To quote Dad, 'We'll keep Altessa and Tabitha safe. You three go and help your mother. Where they're going, they'll need all the help they can get'."

"That's so thoughtful of Midas." I remarked. "I was actually going to go get you three but this saves me the trip. The more of us, the better our chances."

"I need to speak with everyone." said Lloyd, getting everyone's attention. "The world is never gonna change if we just wait for Nebilim to make the next move, right? So this time, we're going to strike him first."

"Well, so you're finally ready to do it, eh?" Zelos remarked. We're gonna raid Derris-Kharlan!"

"We have two objectives: Defeat Abyssion and...release Origin." Lloyd replied.

"We also need to secure the Great Seed." said Yuan. "If Abyssion takes it into his own, I fear even the Eternal Sword may be useless against him."

"But if you release Origin, what about Kratos?" asked Seles.

"I don't really know yet." Lloyd replied. "We don't know for certain that he'll actually die. He IS a 4,000 year old angel, after all. We don't have the time to worry about things we're not sure of."

"What do you intend to do about the Eternal Sword?" Mithos (in his Mithos form) asked Lloyd. "Even if you break Origin's seal, you can't wield it, remember? And I doubt either Genis, Seles or Raine would be able to handle a sword of its caliber..."

"Don't worry about that." Said Hannah. "I've got it covered."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her.

"The ingredients need to make it possible for humans to wield the eternal sword." Said Terra. "That was the secret mission I was on while you guys were traveling all over Tethe'alla. I've got them all but we'll need a dwarf to forge the Pact Ring necessary for Lloyd to use the Eternal Sword."

"We won't be able to use the Eternal Sword until AFTER Abyssion has been dealt with, anyway." I remarked before turning to the Abyssion of our group. "Are you ready for some payback?"

"With interest." He replied with a rather sinister grin.

"Then I guess this will be the final battle." Virginia remarked.

"Colette, I need you to stay behind." Lloyd said suddenly.

"Why?" she asked.

"You can be used as Martel's Vessel." he replied. "We'll have either Mizuho or the Renegades hide you."

"If…that's what you want…" she said before thinking for a moment. "No, I'm going, too!"

"But…" Lloyd protested.

"Heh, I get it." Zelos said with a snicker. "You don't think you can protect her. That is so sad. Don't worry, Colette! I, the great Zelos, swear to protect you!"

"Zelos!" Lloyd, Mark and Celes exclaimed in Unison.

"Take her along, Lloyd." said Mark Anthony. "They're gonna be after her no matter where she is. You ought to know that by now. Be a man, show her what you're made of!"

"Wow, we actually have the same opinion for once." Sheena said to Zelos. "Sorry, Lloyd, but I agree with Zelos this time."

"All right, Colette will come with us." Lloyd caved.

"Thank you, Lloyd and everyone else, too." She replied with a smile.

"Don't forget that Aurina and Celes are considered Chosen as well." Ann said suddenly. "Now that I think of it, maybe having them, along with Colette, Zelos and Seles skipping this fight might be a good idea."

"There isn't a place on Sylverant or Tethe'alla for them to hide, you know." Fin remarked.

"The same couldn't be said for my castle, however..." Mithos remarked with a grin. "Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll take the Four Chosen ahead to the Tower of Salvation. Once there, we'll use the Eternal Sword to get into my Castle. There, we'll wait for you guys until Abyssion has been deal with."

"But how will we stay in contact from that far away?" Raine asked.

"My brother and I can communicate telepathically." Aurina remarked.

"The same can be said for me and Mark." Celes added.

"Yuan and Pronyma, you two go with Mithos." said Kratos. "I'll go with Lloyd's group. We'll open the transporter once we've dealt with Abyssion."

"Sounds good." Yuan replied.

---

"What about us?" Mithos' clone asked after Yuan's group left.

"You're probably not going to like this but we're going to use you two as a diversion." Damien replied.

"WHAT?!" Martel's clone exclaimed.

"Yeah, we decided on it late last night after Celes and Aurina went to bed." said Dad. "If they were here, they'd object, of course."

"But I don't wanna die..." Mithos' clone trailed. "I WANT TO LIVE!"

"Don't worry—Abyssion won't kill you." said Kratos. "He'll certainly want you two alive. He'll need someone who can use the Eternal Sword. Seeing as you and the real Mithos have the same Mana signature, you're the one for the job."

---

Chapter 24 is now done. No, I didn't forget the obvious fact that Mithos and Martel have been cloned. I haven't decided if they're to die or not but first I need to get the 'Great Betrayal' scene out of the way. I think you'll like how I did this one.


	25. Chapter 25: And the Traitor is

---

Chapter 25: And the Traitor is...

---

A/N:This is quite possibly the shortest chapter of this entire story despite the huge chunks of Plot Twisting involved. I don't usually do this but here's a recap of the entire Fanfic up to now:

The Toss Family gets pulled into the world of Symphonia and go through the events of the game starting in Iselia. As with most self-insertion Fanfics, the OC (or in this case, OCS) knows the full story from the get go. There is a twist, however. The further through the game they go, the more things change from how it was originally—Lloyd finds out the truth about Kratos in Palmacosta, there are 12 Devil's Arms instead of 9, Abyssion is the main villain instead of Mithos, Yuan helps the party from the get-go and eventually joins them and finally, Mithos Yggdrassil changes his mind about the Age of Half-Elves. Oh, and of course Virginia Sage and Seles Wilder join the party.

All that has led up to this moment when it is discovered not one but FOUR people are going to betray the group. Who are they? Before this chapter gets underway, we'll go down the roster one more time:

Symphonia Team (Sylverant and Tethe'alla): Lloyd, Collete, Genis, Raine, Kratos, Sheena, Zelos, Presea, Regal, Virginia, Seles, Yuan, Mithos and Pronyma.

Team Serene Adventure (my OCs): Ted, Abyssion, Hannah, Ann-Marie, Alex, Celes, Mark Anthony, Angel, Fin, Katrin, Kyle, Leon, Talen, Evelyn, Rocky, Damien, Aurina, Jenna and Terra.

---

We arrived at the Tower of Salvation, knowing there was a high chance we wouldn't come back out. When we ascended the transparent stairs to the entrance we saw several Cruxis Angels laid out near the doorway. It seemed Zelos and Mithos' group had to fight their way in. "This is our chance." said Dad. "Let's not waste it." We entered the tower and quickly ascended to the Room where the Eternal Sword was. Upon arriving, we saw that the platform leading to Welgaia was not on.

"Hmm...looks like they were in a hurry..." Hannah remarked as we saw the bodies of Angels all over the place.

"I think I might be able to open the way." Mithos' clone remarked as he walked over to the Eternal Sword.

"How so?" Genis asked him.

"Mark, come here for a sec." he said as Martel joined him.

"No." I replied, unsheathing my sword and turning to face the others. "I've said it before and I'll say it again—it's a good thing my sister isn't here to see your demise!"

"Mark, what are you...?!" Katrin exclaimed in shock.

"You guys are so gullible, it's not even funny." I remarked. "Isn't that right, Nebilim?" As if on cue, Nebilim appeared standing above the Eternal Sword. "Considering the Dark God knows we know everything about his enemies, it would make sense for him to form an alliance with me. Isn't that right, Dad?"

"True." he remarked as he floated above the rest of the group. "And like the pawns that you are, you've fallen well into our trap."

"What are you two talking about?" Hannah demanded. "Explain now!"

"Didn't you ever once wonder why it was some of us knew the full story from the very beginning?" I asked. "Did it ever cross your mind that it wasn't just because this world is a video game but also because we've been here before? Just think for a moment. Why else do you think Mom went all over the place gathering the 12 Devil's Arms?"

"From the very start, our mission was to ensure that Nebilim's Resurrection not only took place but that he himself would claim the power of Origin and the Eternal Sword." said Mom. "Finding out Mithos cloned himself was just a bonus. With him, we have no need for the original."

"**All that's left is for you all to die right here!"** Abyssion roared.

"Wait—where are the others?" Raine asked.

"They're safe—for now." Mithos' clone replied. "How long they will be hasn't really been decided."

"What do you plan to do with the great seed?" asked Lloyd. "You'd take it knowing the state of the world?!"

"Of course, but first the New Martel's going to be fused with it." I replied. "Once this is done, she will be reborn as a Goddess."

"You wouldn't..." said Fin.

"Yes, we would." Abyssion replied as he, Damien and Aurina turned their weapons on the others. "I still can't believe you guys got me to trust you so fast. Now you will pay the price for such foolhardiness!"

"Alright, let's get out of here." Mithos said to Martel before they got on the teleporter. "I'll be seeing you later, Abyssion." With that, the two vanished.

---

"Please tell me this is some kind of joke." said Alex as he got Resolve ready. "If not, then I can promise you will never know peace when we're done with you."

"Seriously though: What the hell makes you think you can beat us?" Hannah asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." Mark replied as his sword began to glow. "Now you will witness firsthand the everlasting Power of the Sun!" In that moment, I realized we were all about to see Mark use his full power for the first time ever. Everyone was shocked when he turned his attention to the possessed Abyssion! "Let's demonstrate on you, shall we?" he suggested coldly.

"**WHAT?"** Abyssion gasped in surprise. Mark Anthony jumped onto the platform, his sword at the ready. **"FOOL!"** he spat before using Beast—which Mark simply cut through.

"Solar Eclipse!" he said before turning invisible. We all watched as Abyssion was struck with a series of well-placed sword strokes. It finished with a roundhouse slice that sent Abyssion up high. Mark picked then to reappear and went after him. "Morning Light of the Heavens, SHINE!" The room suddenly became very bright as a beam of sunlight struck Abyssion. Mark struck Abyssion several times at the same time, ending with a vertical slash that send his opponent crashing into the group.

Upon landing, Mark sheathed his sword. **"H-How...can anyone...be more powerful than me...?"** Abyssion asked before breathing his last.

"Finally, it's over." Terra breathed. "I still can't believe that worked..."

"You mean you planned that?!" Hannah exclaimed.

"Of course." I replied. "We also felt keeping everyone in the dark was the best thing to do as well."

"Speaking of darkness...!" Kyle suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Abyssion's body. Everyone turned to see a black cloud emerge from it.

"**Souls...come unto me!"** It said.

"It's the Dark God Nebilim!" Presea exclaimed. "He wants to devour our souls and turn us into creatures of darkness."

"I'll take care of this." Alex said as he stepped forward. He held up Resolve, tapping into its power. "It ends here! Brimstone!" A rain of burning rocks descended from above, destroying Nebilim for good with its purifying power. We'd done it!

"Now it's finally over..." Virginia gasped.

"We've no doubt got some explaining to do but it will have to wait until later." I said as I sheathed my sword. "Mithos and Martel's clones really have betrayed us and we must stop them!"

"What?!" Kratos exclaimed.

"If they succeed, there will be no Great Tree to revive." Mark explained. "We must stop them at all cost."

"Abyssion, myself and Hannah will get the others and meet the rest of you there." I said as I unsheathed the Time Blade. "Just be careful, as the Angels probably think Mithos' clone is the real thing."

---

And that's that. Nope, I couldn't bring myself to kill off anyone but Abyssion, heh he! I have a plan for the separation sequence as well as the Derris Emblem portion, don't you worry. Next Chapter will be up in a bit.


	26. Chapter 26: Separation Anxiety

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Chapter 26: Separation Anxiety

---

A/N: Once again, I think you'll be pleased with how I do this here chapter!

---

"What's going on?" Angel asked as we entered a large room. We could hear a bell, followed by some feathers coming from above.

"Angels!" Lloyd exclaimed as a group of them flew in low.

"Here they come!" Regal said as we all prepared to fight them off. Earlier, it had been decided that only a few of us would likely make it to the Great Seed Chamber. Kratos and Lloyd were chosen from the Symphonia half but the rest of us were undecided.

"INDIGNATION!" Genis said before blasting some enemy reinforcements. Their charred bodies fell nearby.

"Damn it, there's no end in sight!" Lloyd spat as the enemy body count began to rise.

"Make a break for that passage!" Damien said, motioning to a doorway across the room. It seemed the first martyr from our group volunteered himself. I ran past the arc, expecting everyone except Damien and Regal to remain behind. When the pillars collapsed, I turned to see they weren't the only ones who decided to stay behind.

"Regal!"

"Terra!"

"Fin!"

"Kyle!"

"Damien!"

Some of us said in unison.

"We'll hold them off here." said Damien. "Hurry, all of you!"

"You know we can't leave you behind!" I fumed.

"There's no time and you know that." Mom replied. "You're the only one who can save the Great Seed."

"I know that, but I can't just leave my friends!" Lloyd shot back.

"That's not what you're doing." said Regal. "I…I once wasn't able to protect someone very important to me. So this time, I'm going to succeed. I'm going to protect my friends."

"I admit I'm doing this in part so Regal won't be alone." said Fin. "As the only other member of the group who fights without weapons, we've got something in common. You guys don't need to worry about us!"

"With my Spirit Bow, I'll make short work of these Angels." said Mom. "My son, I want you to stop wasting time and keep going. Regardless of what happens to us, I don't think I'll be able to forgive you if you let those clones have their way with the Great Seed."

"Guys..." Lloyd trailed.

"Lloyd, save the Great Seed." Regal pleaded.

"All right." said Lloyd as he and I turned to go."All of you, don't die. Don't make me go through the same pain you did, you hear me?" As we headed for the transporter, we could hear Regal's words.

"Heh. You sure don't make things easy, Lloyd. I'm sorry, Alicia. It looks like it's still going to be a while before I join you…"

"You shall not pass!" I heard Mom exclaim. "Arrow Rain!"

---

"Whoa!" Lloyd exclaimed before narrowly missing getting smacked by a piece of the Great Tree that went out of control in Sylverant. "This thing won't let us through!"

"Hang on, this thing looks like leftovers from earlier." Sheena remarked.

"You mean…one of the Giant Tree's…!" I exclaimed in amazement.

"Yep, no doubt about it." she replied. "Just stand back and leave this to me!" She then Summoned Celsius, Volt, Gnome and Shadow. "I command thee! Gather before me and unleash thine power!"

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Lloyd asked as she took the powers of the Tethe'alla Summon Spirits unto her being.

"My impression of the Mana Cannon." she replied. "Well, it won't be nearly as powerful but it should be enough to take care of this thing. Lloyd, when I give the signal, run underneath it. Got it?"

"All right, but what about you?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." she replied. "Get ready, here we go!" she then fired a beam of energy at the remains of the tree.

"Now!" I suddenly heard Ann say as she began to summon herself.

"Mom?!" I exclaimed.

"Julie Frost, Gaia, Hades!" she said as she summoned three beings at the same time. Once they appeared, they too attacked the remains of the twisted tree. The rest of us quickly ran to the other side.

"HAAA!" Sheena yelled as she emptied the rest of her Mana into her beam attack. The tree then fell onto the bridge, breaking it. Both of them fell into what looked like a bottomless pit.

"Sheena, are you okay?" Lloyd asked. When she reappeared, she and Mom were covered in soot.

"Yeah, I'm all right." she replied.

"That was amazing!" he exclaimed.

"Phew, just don't ask me to do it again, okay?" she replied. "Phew, that drained all my mana, I'm going to rest for just a--" suddenly, two branches sprang up and grabbed her and Mom by the leg, dragging them into the pit.

"MOM!" I exclaimed. "Hang on, I'll…"

"It looks like I have a strong affinity for falling into holes..." Sheena cracked.

"Just hang on, we'll be right there!" I said.

"Don't worry about us." said Mom. "Just hurry up and go save the Great Seed."

"This is not the time to act all tough!" I exclaimed.

We're not acting!" Sheena shot back. "It's just like the last time when I climbed up from the bottom of that pit and I took you on. And this time…I won't miss the main event."

"You both had better be telling the truth." Lloyd said as we turned to head for the next teleporter.

"Of course!" Mom shot back. "You'd better leave us a piece of the action!"

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you, you got that?" Lloyd replied. As the last of our shrinking group to get on the transporter, I could hear Sheena talking to Mom.

"I'm so stupid. Stubborn to the very end… I really need to start acting more feminine at times like this and let him rescue me. Heh, but that wouldn't be my style now, would it?"

"Lloyd…good luck…" Mom said before I teleported.

---

In this next area, we found a computer console in the middle of the room. While Mark, Katrin, Virginia and Raine operated it, the rest of us headed for the door on the other side of the room.

"Damn it, open!" Lloyd fumed as he kicked the door.

"It looks like you can control it from here." Raine said before turning to Mark. "Leave this to us."

"Professor Sage, hurry." Lloyd urged.

"Don't rush me." Raine said as she pressed something on the console. "This is it." The first door then opened.

"You did it!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Mark exclaimed as the ground began to shake.

"Ow…" Katrin said before barely falling through a collapsing floor.

"Professor Sage, Are you okay?!" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"I'm fine." she replied. "I just made a minor input error."

"Be careful, okay?" I warned.

"It's okay now." said Katrin. We're opening the next door." On the other side of the door was a waiting monster.

"Another input error?" Lloyd asked.

"No, now hurry up and defeat it!" Raine shot back.

"Ready—Super Demon Fang!" Kratos, Lloyd and mark said together as they launched the same attack from three directions, taking out the monster.

"This is quite an intricate trap." Virginia remarked as another floor panel gave way.

"Professor Sage, are you really making that many mistakes?" I asked. "Wait, are you…"

"There's no time to worry about that!" Katrin warned. "We're opening the next one!" Once again, there was a monster behind this door.

"Not again!" Lloyd groaned. We turned to see more floors collapsing.

"I knew it...!" I fumed.

"Lloyd, you need to focus on saving the Great Seed right now." Raine warned. "Don't get distracted!"

"Rising Falcon!" Lloyd said as he took out the monster by himself. The job done, the final door opened and the active transporter was on the other side.

"Professor Sage, it's okay now!" Lloyd said as the two of us ran back to the console room. "Hurry up and come--" Then we saw the last of the panels collapse. They were trapped!

"Leon, do something!" I exclaimed.

"The room's shaking too much!" he shot back. "If I make bridge, the ice would shatter as soon as they tried to use it!"

"Professor Sage!" Lloyd yelled.

"Everyone, this room will soon collapse." said Virginia. "Hurry up and go."

"No, I'm not leaving you behind!" Lloyd shot back. "I don't want to sacrifice anyone anymore!"

"When did anyone become a sacrifice?" Raine asked him. "I believe in your ideals. A world that would accept those of us caught in the middle. I believe in your vision of the world. It has become my hope. I came all the way here in order to realize that dream. I've no regrets."

"Saving the world won't mean anything if we lose all of you!" I said.

"My soul will live on in the world you create." said Virginia. "But if your ideals die, then my hope dies as well. Living on without hope is worse than death, don't you think?"

"I…I don't understand that at all!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"If you don't understand, then make use of your remaining life to think about what it means for a person to live." said Raine. "That's my final lesson to you as your teacher. Now, go. Do as your teacher says."

"Angel, I'm sure Mom won't forgive you if you chose not to go on because of me." said Katrin. "For her sake and mine, you need to keep going!"

"Professor Sage…I'll never forget you!" Lloyd as as we turned to go.

"The rest is in your hands, my precious student…" Raine said as the passage began to collapse. We made it to the transporter just in time. I looked at the broken transporter feeling very sad and alone. I knew then that I would do everything I could to make sure everything turned out alright.

----

"It's locked from the inside." I said after trying the door. "It's no good, it won't budge."

"Lloyd, look up there." Presea suddenly said. We saw the open air duct near the door.

"That?" he asked.

Leon and I may be able to enter the room from there." she suggested. Let's give it a try. Besides, I'm the only one that can fit through there."

"Okay, but be careful." Lloyd said as Alex and I helped them into the vents. After waiting a few minutes, the door opened. When we entered the room we saw Leon and Presea being detained by another branch. It seemed Presea managed to hold the ceiling panel ahead from falling with her axe.

"Presea!" Lloyd exclaimed as he ran to her.

"Stay back!" she warned. "Don't come over here. Please, hurry!"

"No!" Lloyd shot back, realizing where this was going. "I…I…"

"Lloyd, you are a kind person." said Leon. "But if you allow your kindness to interfere with your judgment, you're merely weak."

"Holy Light, give me strength!" we heard Alex say as he lifted the panel a few feet from the ground. He then kicked Presea's axe in her direction.

"You have something you must do." said Presea. "Please do not forget that. …Please go. If you don't, I'll lose my respect for you. I'll be fine. So please, hurry…"

"It seems I'll be staying, too." said Alex. "I'm the only thing keeping this panel from falling and I can't hold it much longer!"

"I'm sorry, Presea!" Lloyd said before going to the transporter with Angel, Genis, Kratos and Jenna.

"Whatever happens, you mustn't give up." I heard Alex say. "Stand and fight. I know you can do it." At that moment, Alex jumped away, casing the ceiling to fall. They only way for us now was forward.

"Presea and Alex, I promise." said Lloyd. "I'll rescue the Great Seed, no matter what. And I'll make a world where everyone can live freely…"

"Let's get moving." I said before activating the teleporter.

---

"Another trap?!" Jenna exclaimed as a wall of green light stopped our progress.

"It's coming towards us!" Genis exclaimed. We tried to run but several more appeared, stopping us in the center.

"It's no good." I said. "There's one over here, too…"

"We'll just have to attack it at the same time and smash our way through!" Mark spat. "I'm getting sick of this crap!"

"Is that going work?" Jenna asked, half amazed.

"Dwarven Vow #16: You can do anything if you try!" Lloyd recited. "We're dead anyway if we fail. Give it all you've got!"

"Heh, that's just like you, Lloyd." said Genis with a smile. "Okay, let's do it!"

"On the count of three…" said Mark as he unsheathed his Solar Blade.

Mark..." I trailed.

"What?" he replied.

"Ah, nothing." I quickly replied. "I'm ready."

"THREE!" Everyone said together before launching an energy attack at the force field, creating an opening.

"Now!" Lloyd said before he, Mark and Kratos made it safely. Jenna, Genis and I remained still. This was the end of the road for us.

"Look, it worked!" Lloyd piped up.

"It was pretty good for one of your plans, Lloyd." I replied. "The only flaw was that you didn't take into account our lack of physical reflexes." When Mark and Kratos turned around, the opening closed.

"Genis!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Heh, we messed up." Genis chuckled.

"You…did that to get us out...?" Lloyd asked.

"No!" I shot back.

"Liar, you knew it would end up like this!" he exclaimed. "Why did you do it?"

"If you'd been in my place, you'd have done the same thing." said Genis. "You always jump in without thinking to save someone in trouble. But it was that Lloyd that I looked up to. I wanted to be like you."

"Genis…" Lloyd trailed.

"Now, hurry up!" Jenna urged. "Before it's too late!"

"No way!" Mark exclaimed. "I can't leave you behind, Angel!"

"I said, go!" Genis urged as tear began to fall. "I'm…not like you. I'm a coward. When it comes down to it, my body starts shaking. I don't want you to see me looking pathetic in the end. Go! I said, go!!"

"You…you fool!" Lloyd exclaimed as teardrops stained his part of the room.

"You were my best friend, Lloyd..." Genis said as Lloyd, Mark and Kratos disappeared through the transporter. For the three of us, this was the end...

---

"From here on out, looks like it's a one way road…" I remarked as we came to a partially collapsed bridge.

"Ready?'" Kratos asked us.

"Let's go!" Lloyd said before we crossed. Upon getting to the other side, Kratos sliced a surprise arrow in half that fired right in front of us. We climbed the stairs, where Hannah entered something into the wall to reveal a hidden door. Upon passing through, we were in the great Seed Chamber. Here, we saw Martel's clone being infused with the Great Seed. Watching closely was Mithos' clone and...Pronyma?!

"It is finally time, dearest sister". Mithos' clone said. "Soon, you will be the most powerful being in all the known world!"

"The mana charge is complete, my lord." Pronyma informed him.

"Good, do it." he replied.

"Nobody move!" I exclaimed. This caused them to turn and face us.

"How did you get in here?!" Pronyma asked. "The lock to this room can only be opened by a member of...oh, I forgot about Kratos and Hannah..."

"What matters is that your selfish dream ends here!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"A futile effort…" Mithos' clone trailed, clearly annoyed as he prepared to blast us. Right then, a fire ball hit him and Pronyma from behind. We looked up to see everyone left behind plus the REAL Mithos (now in his Yggdrassil form) and co. had arrived!

"We won't let you lay a finger on them!" Angel declared.

"Guys!" I exclaimed in amazement. "You're okay?"

"I told you I wouldn't miss the main event!" said Ann.

"You did not want to share the same pain Regal does, correct?" Fin asked me.

"I can't possibly miss seeing the new world that's about to be made." Katrin remarked.

"I can still fight." said Leon. "As long as I can fight, I will stay by your side."

"Pretty good, huh?" Jenna asked.

"Pronyma, for this you will die!" Yggdrassil hissed.

"Everyone!" Lloyd cheered. "All right! Let's take them on together!"

"What a sorry lot." Mithos' clone said with a sigh. "Pronyma, it is your fault they're still alive. Kill them!"

"Yes, sir!" she replied as she stepped forward. I stood back as Presea, Mithos, Sheena and Regal joined Lloyd, who made short work of Pronyma. "I can't believe I lost twice to this retched lot..." she coughed after being soundly defeated.

"Curse your fate for standing in our way!" said Yuan as he descended.

"Lord Yggdrassil…it hurts…Please…forgive me…" At that moment, the transfer of energy was completed.

"I've succeeded!" Mithos' clone exclaimed in delight. "My sister's power is now absolute!"

"Lord Yggdrassil…Mithos…please…" Pronyma said as she touched the real Mithos' foot.

"Only Kratos and Yuan can call me by that name!" Mithos fumed. "Get out of my sight!" With that, he blasted her with Photon and her body vanished.

"That's so cruel…" I heard Celes shudder. The machine then opened, and Martel's clone emerged. It slowly walked over to Mithos' clone.

"Dear sister…you've finally come back to me!" Mithos' clone exclaimed.

"No…it can't be true!" Yuan exclaimed. That's when Martel walked past Mithos' clone and approached the real one!

"Mithos…what have you done...?" she asked with a different voice.

"Martel...?" he asked, clearly surprised. "Oh, you mean my body. I hastened my growth to have an appearance befitting the leader of Cruxis. Wait just a moment. I'll switch back to my old form." In a flash, he returned to his original size.

"No, Mithos, not that." she replied. "I've been watching all this time. Unable to move, unable to do anything, I watched all those foolish things you've done. Have you forgotten everything? We stopped the Ancient War because we dreamed of a world where humans, elves, and those in between could live in harmony."

"I know, I know." he said. "Nothing will ever change the terrible things Kratos, Yuan and myself have done. For those most part, I am to blame for the current state of the world. I couldn't get over your death and sought a way to bring you back. That's when I thought of merging your exsphere with the Great Seed..."

"Mithos, please listen to me." Martel continued. "What you have done…is wrong. It is not what we strove for. It's not too late for you to make things right."

"How can I do that?" Mithos asked.

"Are you rejecting me?" Mithos' clone asked. "Answer me, damn it!"

"Please put a stop to all of this and become your old self again." Martel asked the real Mithos.

"Martel Yggdrassil, even you reject me?" Mithos' clone asked. "No…the real Martel would never say something like that! Haha…hahaha! I won't allow that, do you hear me—JUDGEMENT!" Everyone took cover as the high power angelic spell made the room shudder. That's when Zelos and Dad decided to take action.

"You okay, Lloyd?" Zelos asked before putting a Key Crest on the Martel clone's Cruxis Crystal.

"What are you doing?!" Mithos' clone demanded before throwing a Photon spell at Zelos, who easily dodged. "I thought you wanted me to set you free of your fate as a Chosen?!"

"Oh, you know what?" Zelos asked teasingly. "I changed my mind. That, and the real Mithos and I worked things out a little while ago. All that's left is we beat the snot out of you, Mr. Fake."

"Zelos!" I exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you regained your senses!"

"Sorry about all that." he said. "It was the only way I could get my hands on this. Here, Lloyd!" He threw a glowing rock, which Lloyd managed to catch. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was Aionis.

"Refine that with Dwarven Arts and it'll let even a human use the Eternal Sword!" Mithos piped up.

"You...are you saying you did all that just to get this?" Lloyd asked.

"That's right." Yuan said with a smirk. "This stupid Chosen and the rest of us released the others from those traps back there."

"But it is true that I knew about a lot of stuff and kept you in the dark." said Zelos. "I've held you guys back for a long time. I figured I'd at least have to do something like that to make up for it."

"If you really want to make it up to us, hurry up and fight!" said Celes as she came down, sword ready.

"You got it!" Zelos said as he made his Angelic Wings appear, sword ready as well. This earned a look of surprise from Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Presea, Regal and Sheena.

"Anyone mind having three 4,000 year old Cruxis Leaders join up with you?" Mithos asked.

"Well, we already considered Yuan and Kratos as part of the group from the beginning so...sure, why not?" Hannah replied.

----

"Damn you all!" Mithos' clone fumed. "Give me back my sister!"

"Goodbye, my brother." Martel said. "This is my final wish. Please, return this twisted world back to its original form. If things were going to end up like this, perhaps the elves should never have left Derris-Kharlan. If they hadn't, people like us would never have been born…" The power she absorbed them left her body and returned to the Great Seed, from which it came.

"Martel...I'm sorry..." I heard Mithos say. "I'm sorry for being so weak..."

"What just happened?" we heard Martel's clone ask as she regained her senses.

"We were had is what happened." Mithos' clone replied as he turned to the Great Seed. "Although, your namesake did give me an interesting idea. Martel, she just wanted to leave this filthy world and return to Derris-Kharlan… Yes, of course. That world is the homeland of all elven blood."

"What the?!" Yuan and Mithos said at the same time.

Come, dearest sister." Mithos' clone said. "Let's forget these filthy creatures and return home together. To Derris-Kharlan…" When the Great Seed began to move, this raised cause for concern.

"Everyone, we have to stop Mithos!" Collette suddenly said. "Martel is calling to me! Martel wants us to stop him!"

"You could hear her too?!" Mithos asked in surprise.

"She said 'Please don't make everyone suffer any longer!'" Colette replied as the Great Seed continued to move.

"Lloyd, do you understand?" I asked him. "If we lose the Great Seed, we'll betray everyone's hopes!"

"I know!" he exclaimed. "We're gonna stop the fake Mithos and Martel with everything we've got! Let's go!"

"We won't let you interfere." Martel's clone said. That's when we were all shocked to see them begin to transform. Mithos' Clone transformed into the Yggdrassil form and Martel transformed into what looked like the Goddess Martel herself. The real Mithos followed suit.

"Allow me to fight them." Yggdrassil asked.

"I, too feel the same." Yuan piped up. "It's my fault these abominations were allowed to be born.

"Celes, you ok?" Mark Anthony asked me. "If you don't want to watch, Kratos can take you back to Tethe'alla."

"If anyone's going to fight them, it's going to be me." I replied as I unsheathed my Lunar Blade. "As the Martel clone's mother, I deserve that right."

"I, too feel the same way." Aurina replied as she brandished her Dark Scythe.

"Then good luck." he replied. "I'll leave the rest to you." I nodded in response before the four of us stepped forward.

"I will kill you all!" Martel's clone said.

"Why can you not accept the ideal world that I have envisioned?" Yggdrassil's clone asked.

"How can your world be ideal when you've killed countless innocents?" I asked.

"Human, don't tell me what's right and wrong!" he shot back before opening with Holy Lance. I barely managed to dodge the attack. Once I regained my footing, I saw that the real Yggdrassil and Aurina were fighting his clone. This left Yuan and me to battle Martel's clone...who was also my daughter.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you because you gave birth to me." Martel's clone said.

"Not that I'd ask you to." I replied as my Lunar Blade began to glow. "Prepare to bear witness firsthand to the enduring Power of the Moon!" If ever was there a time for me to use my full power, it was definitely now. "Lunar Eclipse!"

"What the...?!" Yuan said when he lost sight of me. When I started slashing Martel's clone with some well-placed blows, he wisely backed away. I finished with a roundhouse slice that vaulted her. I picked then to make myself visible and followed.

"Enduring Light of the Twilight, SHINE!" I said as I raised my sword. The room became bright as she was his with large amounts of Light Energy. I struck her with a few more sword strokes at the same time, finishing the job.

"No...I can't die here..." she trailed before collapsing.

"I won't die until I save Martel..." Yggdrassil's clone said after being mortally wounded. The two then drew close as if knowing the end was near. "We cannot lose…I'm going home…I'm going home with my sister…" The two then vanished. Mithos picked up his clone's Cruxis Crystal as the Great Seed returned to where it was before.

"It's over." Lloyd said with a sigh.

---

"No, it's not." Kratos said. "The worlds are still split. The Giant Tree has still not yet germinated. You must release…Origin."

"Do you know what that means?" Lloyd shot back. "You might die!"

"I tried to run from everything." Kratos replied. "I still need to pay for my past sins. For the sake of releasing Origin's seal, as well as for the sake of settling my past, Lloyd...you must defeat me."

"You think I'm just gonna go along with that?!" Lloyd exclaimed in horror.

"I'll be waiting for you before the seal." Kratos said before leaving. Mithos (now in his small form again) was about to follow but Yuan stopped him, shaking his head.

"It's time we get going as well." Dad said as he, Hannah and Abyssion walked over to the exit.

"W-where are you going?" I asked.

"I told you already: You or Celes are the only people here who can wield the Trinity Blade." Dad replied. "The time has come for us to forge it. We will need some time to prepare so we will go ahead to Heimdall. When you arrive, I expect the two of you will have decided which will wield the Trinity Blade." The three then teleported from the room.

"Lloyd, let's head back first, okay?" Colette suggested.

"Best news I heard all day." Zelos said with a smile. We then exited Welgaia and the Tower of Salvation.

"By the way Zelos, where did you learn a method for humans to equip the Eternal Sword?" Raine asked as we descended the steps of the tower.

"I really think it'd be better if I didn't say." he replied.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, that's a strange thing to say." Genis remarked.

"Kratos ingested Aionis so he could make the pact with Origin." said Mithos. "Although the Eternal Sword was made so only Half-Elves could wield it, since he had Elven Blood in him, he and Zelos as well could wield it by simply being acknowledged by Origin.

"What are you going to do, Lloyd?" Kratos asked. "Are you going to fight Kratos?"

"I don't know." he replied. "At any rate, we'll go to Heimdall."

"We've also got to figure out the Trinity Blade thing." Celes remarked. "Only Mark or I can use it and we already ruled out fighting for it. Hmm..."

----

Well, the next chapter is straight to the seal and the Forging of the Trinity Blade as well as the Eternal Ring. Fun times, yes? Yes, this story is reaching its end but I've got some stuff I want to do before the final battle. What stuff? You'll find out after the next chapter!


	27. Chapter 27: Full Force

---

Chapter 27: Full Force

---

A/N: This, too will be short and to the point. It'll be fun though, I guarantee!

---

"Lloyd, welcome." The Elf Elder said when we reached the gates of Heimdall. "Your visitors have already entered Torrent Forest, where Origin sleeps."

"Thank you." Lloyd replied.

"Then, we'll see you when you get back…" Seles said as she, Mithos, Yuan, Virginia, Raine and Genis hung back.

"Wait, all of you." Lloyd said before turning to the Elf Elder. "Please let all these people into the village! It's only for now. They're my close friends and I want them to be there when I face off against Kratos!"

"Unthinkable." One of the Guards said. "No half-elf may enter our—wait! It's Mithos Yggdrassil!"

"And Yuan, too!" the other exclaimed. "They're the people responsible for the state of the world!"

"Stop, both of you!" The Elf Elder snapped. "The chasm that separates us from the half-elves is deep and dark. Nevertheless, there is reason in what Lloyd says. Thus, from now until Origin is released, I will grant these people entrance to the village. Furthermore, I hereby end Virginia, Raine and Genis Sage's banishment from the village.

"Thank you!" Virginia exclaimed.

"However, Mithos and Yuan may not use any of our facilities." The Elf Elder continued. "Is that clear?"

"That's fine with me." Yuan replied.

"Gee, thanks." Mithos replied sarcastically.

"Then let's go to where the Kratos, Dad and the others are..." I suggested.

"Lloyd, wait!" Colette suddenly said. "You should relax a little first. You're about to fight your father, remember?"

"I know that!" he shot back.

The fate of the world rests on your battle with Kratos." said Yuan. "Let's rest here tonight and you can sort out your feelings. This will likely be the end of our journey."

"All right." Lloyd replied before everyone wandered off to prepare. I walked over to a Apple Tree and sat under it, deep in thought. Lloyd was about to fix the world and only me or Mark Anthony could wield the Trinity Blade. Tomorrow would likely be when the Legendary Sword of Time, Space and Energy was forged. I looked at my Lunar Blade, which was more effective when I used it at night. Mark Anthony's Solar Blade was more effective at night. It made me wonder what would happen if our swords were combined.

"Just the person I wanted to see." I heard Mark say as he sat down next to me. "I can tell just by looking that you're thinking about the Trinity Blade. No matter how you look at it, there's no real way we can decide which of us will wield it."

"Did you know it's possible for our swords to be combined?" I asked him."A Sword Of Light and a Sword of Night..."

"When combined, they become the Twilight Blade." he finished. "It's a sword powered by the Sun and the Moon and it is said that it can only be created when a Solar Eclipse and a Lunar Eclipse happen in the same day and at the same time."

"That's kind of impossible." I remarked.

"Not if the eclipse occurs at sunrise or sunset." he replied. "Because then, technically a day will end and begin at the same time. Let me guess: you want to forge it at sunset today."

"You know me too well and we're not twins like Fin and Katrin are." I said with a laugh. "Let's meet back here at sunset and do it."

"We still need to figure out who will use the sword we make." said Mark. "One of us will be unarmed until the Trinity Blade is forged so..."

"You take the Twilight Blade." I replied. "I've developed my Angelic Abilities to the point where I can fight without a weapon if need be. I am a Earth's Chosen of Light, after all."

"True enough." Mark said with a laugh. "Alright, then we'll meet back here tonight. Make sure you bring the Lunar Blade."

---

That evening, I waited until The Symphonia Team went off to talk with Lloyd before sneaking out of the Inn. Since Virginia was accepted back into the village, the Sages now had a more permanent place to stay. This would be useful considering what happened to Raine and Genis' home in Iselia. I found Celes standing by the brook that ran through Heimdall. "Let's get started." Celes said before making her wings appear. "I just triggered a Lunar Eclipse. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to sing Holy Song while we forge the Twilight Blade."

"How come?" I asked before making time stop completely by using Solar Eclipse.

"It will make the sword more powerful." Fin said as he emerged from the woods. I barely managed to stop myself from reaching for my sword. "Dad came by a few minutes ago to get Katrin for more of the same. So you two are really going to forge the Twilight Blade, huh? Whichever gets it, the other gets the Trinity Blade."

"Yes, we know that already." I said. "Now, we haven't much time before the Double Eclipse--" I was cut off by what sounded like a chorus of angels. It took me a moment to realize that it was Celes the sound was coming from. I could see thousands of transparent feathers beginning to fill the area. I found the music very mesmerizing. We held up our swords and activated their power. The swords began to glow as they floated into the air. Energy from the blades began to merge together as the two swords became one.

"It's working..." Fin trailed. "I think you two did it!" When the merge completed, the sword floated gently to the ground, where I picked it up. At this point, Celes stopped singing. The hilt of the sword was Silver and the blade itself was Amethyst with a Topaz finish. I could feel our combined energies pulsing within the sword. By just holding it, I could feel new power flowing into me.

"I think I just gained some new abilities thanks to this..." I trailed as I stared at the Twilight Blade.

"And a new pair of wings to boot." Fin remarked. "Such is to expected considering one of you is a Chosen. Is that right, Celes?"

"..." was her reply. Then Fin and I realized she hadn't moved since she stopped singing Holy Song. I put my hand on her shoulder and she finally turned around. Her eyes looked vacant, as if she wasn't even there.

"Celes?!" Me and Fin exclaimed at the same time. A moment later, she finally blinked.

"What just happened?" she asked us.

"Perhaps a side effect from using Holy Song." I guessed. "The strange thing is she's used it before without this happening."

"Well, we are not that far from Origin's Seal." said Fin. "That, you two stopped time, forged the Twilight Blade and the Trinity Blade being forged somewhere in the Forest. Any one of these could be a factor."

"True enough." I said. "Let's ask Dad, Mithos and Yuan about it tomorrow." We headed back to the Inn to turn in for the day when we could hear someone in the bushes nearby. We followed the sound. We were surprised to see Angel, Genis, Leon, Seles and Mithos all standing there.

"What are you all doing?" Celes asked.

"Angel just challenged Mithos to a Magician's Duel." said Leon. "I tried to tell Mithos he's wasting his time trying to beat her but he wouldn't listen."

"You might want to take Leon's word for it." I said. "The two of them are dead equal in terms of skill but Angel's a lot stronger than any spellcaster you'll ever know—yourself included."

"You seem to be forgetting I am the one who split the world in two." Mithos remarked. "Until tomorrow I also have the power of the Eternal Sword on my side. She doesn't stand a chance!"

"Then how about this." said Fin. "Tomorrow, you and Angel will duel before Origin's Seal after Lloyd and Sheena establish a new pact with the King of Summon Spirits. The winner is crowned Master Mage of Sylverant, Tethe'alla and Earth."

"Sounds good to me." Angel remarked. "I think it will be more fun if we had an audience, too."

"It's settled, then." said Mithos. "We'll find out tomorrow who the best spellcaster really is."

---

"Are you going to the Torrent Forest now?" The Elf Elder asked us the next morning.

"Yeah, we're ready." Mark replied.

"Kratos traveled the world in search of the legendary ore, Aionis." the Elf Elder remarked. "He came here too, of course. Do you know why?"

"In order to allow a human to wield the Eternal Sword, right?" Lloyd guessed.

"So that you, his son could wield it." The Elf Elder replied. "But in the end, Aionis could not be found in this world. It had to be taken from Derris-Kharlan. Even if you cannot avoid the battle, do not forget… Kratos was your ninth companion from the worlds of Sylverant and Tethe'alla."

"Trust me, I won't." said Lloyd.

"Torrent Forest lies ahead." said Virginia. "We should speak to the watchman to gain access.".

"You're coming?" Raine asked.

"Of course I am." Virginia replied. "Now that all is well with us and Heimdall, I want to be the first Elf of this Generation to have seen Origin with my own eyes."

"Kratos should be in the deepest region of the forest." said Katrin, who suddenly emerged. "The place has its own variety of Monsters so we'll need to be careful." With the help of a Bush Baby, we found the correct path to the Seal of Origin. As we walked down the final pathway we ran into Dad, Abyssion and Hannah.

"I see you have made your choices." Dad remarked upon seeing the Twilight Blade. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"You knew our swords could be combined?" Mark asked in surprise.

"Of course." Dad replied. "Why else do you think I gave you two those particular swords? Abyssion, Hannah and myself had already decided weeks ago that only one of you would be able to use the Trinity Blade. This meant that the two of you would have the forge the Twilight Blade, which has some of the powers of the Time, Energy and Gravity Blades."

"So I see..." I said. "Well, I'm ready for the Trinity Blade. You guys can forge it now." At this, the three of them Unsheathed their Elemental Swords.

"What the?!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." said Katrin. "Before they forge it, they must test your worth in battle."

"At the same time?!" Mark exclaimed.

"If it were Mark then we'd take turns." Hannah said with a laugh. "Are you ready, Celeste Ann Toss?"

"Yes." I said as I entered a fighting stance. "Just try not to die."

"Aurabolt!" Dad said before launching a beam of energy my way.

"Super Damage Guard!" I said before blocking it. I did it again to block a sword stroke from both Abyssion and Hannah at the same time. I unfolded my wings a flew up high, preparing to cast a something. I looked in time to see Hannah's Frenzy plant coming my way. "Angel Feathers!" I said before a flurry of angelic energy flew from me, stopping the attack.

"Blast Burn!" Abyssion said as a ball of fire headed towards me.

"Water Pulse!" I cast, negating it and taking out Hannah, who happened to get caught in the blast radius.

"Impressive." I heard Abyssion say as I landed on the ground. "Now I know that attack can be deflected." He and Dad then charged me again from both sides.

"Spread!" I said as a column of water shot up in front of Abyssion, stopping his charge. "JUDGMENT!" This caused beams of light to fall from above, finishing him off. This only left Dad for me to take care of.

"Come forth, Leviathan!" Dad said as he summoned his Sea Dragon. I now had two opponents to deal with again, only one was really big and really quick. "Hydro Cannon!" Dad said as Leviathan let loose a Tsunami Wave in my direction. I only had one shot to stop BOTH attacks!

"Holy Waters, bless us with your ever flowing power! Aura Cannon!" I said before letting loose an upgraded version of Aurabolt. It cut through Dad, Leviathan and both of their attacks in one go, surprising even me.

"Did she just do that?!" Katrin exclaimed in shock. "She beat them all by herself!"

"Impressive, none the less." Dad said after he and the others were healed by Raine and Virginia. "I have nothing to worry about once the Trinity Blade is forged now."

"I call upon the Servant of Dark Fire!" Abyssion chanted. "Arise, Flameberge!"

"Reveal thyself, O Dragon of the Earth!" Hannah chanted. "Come forth, Saphira!" Both dragons appeared to the call of their respective master.

"Everything required is now here." said Dad after he revived Leviathan. "Hannah and Abyssion, the time has come to create the Trinity Blade." The three placed their respective sword down in the sand, blades pointing in with their Dragons opposite the swords. Right after doing so, a magic rune appeared underneath each of them.

"I am Ted Toss, the Champion of Courage!" Dad stated.

"I am Abyssion Highwind, the Champion of Wisdom!" Abyssion stated.

"I am Hannah Patterson, Champion of Power!" Hannah stated.

"I offer the Power of Time to the Sword that has Lives Forever." Said Dad as the Time Blade began to glow brightly.

"I offer the Power of Gravity to the Sword that can traverse all of Space." Said Abyssion as the Gravity Blade began to glow brightly.

"I offer the Power of Energy to the Sword that has no Equal." Said Hannah as the Energy Blade began to glow brightly.

"In the presence of the Champions of Earth, Swords Combine!" All three of them said in unison. The three blades rose into the air and clashed together. There was a sudden flash of light that made everyone but the Three shield their eyes. When the light subsided, a single sword descended to the ground.

"Whoa…" Mark Anthony trailed as everyone watched.

"Born from Time, Space and Energy…" Fin marveled.

"Be quiet, both of you!" Mom hissed. "Celes must be the first person who touches the sword." At that point the sword planted itself into the ground as if to beckon to all present. I walked over to it and pulled it from the ground.

"You, who possessed the right of the pact." A voice said. "I am Trinity, the spirit of the sword you now wield. This is the first time The Trinity Blade has ever been created since the Three Swords themselves were created. As such, I and the sword are yours to command. Tell me O master, what is your name?"

"I am Celeste Ann Toss, also known as Celes." I replied.

"As Master and Sword Celes, let us make a pact to solidify our bond." said Trinity. "This pact will remain forever so long as you live and do not break the pact we establish. Upon what do you wish to solidify our bond, Celes Toss?"

"To create a world in which Humans, Elves and everything in between are free to live life as they want together and in peace." I replied. "That is my desire."

"I can sense unjust treatment occurring all over the worlds of Sylverant and Tethe'alla." said Trinity. "If this be your fight, then mine it shall be too. Champions of Earth, do you agree to your powers being used in this manner?"

"Yes." They said in unison.

"Then the pact is now made." Trinity said as a new sheath appeared at my side. "The powers of Time, Space and Energy now reside within you Celes Toss, the Eternal Champion!" When the light show finally subsided, I sheathed my new sword and gained the title Eternal Chosen.

---

"Such power…" Celes trailed. "I can feel tremendous power flowing through my body! I feel invincible!"

"Let's hope so." Hannah remarked. "As the Eternal Champion there is no challenge you cannot overcome."

"Will you guys be ok, though?" asked Alex. "I mean, it looked like you gave up a lot of your energy there."

"Just our immortality but it seems we still have wings." Dad replied as he made a pair of transparent wings appear on his back. Abyssion and Hannah followed suit. "We're all masters of the Force Element we specialize in so you've got nothing to worry about. By looking at our dragons, it should be easy to figure what those elements are."

"So you've come." Kratos said as we all stood before the seal.

"Is there no other way?" Lloyd asked him.

"Are you still thinking like that?" Kratos asked, sounding irate. You'll die if you fight me with any doubt left in your heart. If you want the pact with Origin, then you must defeat me."

"So that's your way." Lloyd remarked before turning to us. "Everyone, leave this to me."

"You're going to fight alone?" Kratos asked in surprise.

"Lloyd won't lose." said Colette. "Lloyd bears the weight of all the lives that you, Mithos, Yuan and Cruxis sacrificed."

"Don't underestimate Lloyd." said Genis. "He didn't run. He didn't give up. By that alone, he's already beat you. I believe in him."

"You're about to witness something remarkable." Raine remarked. "The sight of your own son surpassing you. Lloyd is…our hope."

"You'd better prepare yourself!" said Sheena. "Lloyd possesses more strength than you imagine. He's not the same Lloyd you knew back when you were with us but you already know that, don't you? You see his potential."

"This guy's really stubborn, simple-minded, and tough as nails." said Zelos. "So he's more than a match for you all by himself but anyway…try your best."

"Lloyd is not alone." Presea remarked. "We are always with him. Even if we do not take up our weapons, we fight…alongside him."

"You and Lloyd most certainly should duel one-on-one." said Regal. "Is that not the closure you desired? You are even less capable than I am at expressing your feelings."

"If it's your wish to settle things with your past, then it's my duty as your son to see it through." Lloyd said as he drew his swords. "Get ready!" The two then battled it out as father and son. I had to admit even though I knew the outcome, it was a thrilling fight to watch. Lloyd finished the battle after narrowly dodging Kratos' Shining Bind.

"You've grown strong." Kratos commented as he knelt before Lloyd.

"Thanks to you." Lloyd remarked.

"Aren't you…going to finish me?" Kratos asked.

"I defeated Kratos, the angel, the one who betrayed us." Lloyd replied. "And I give Kratos, the hero of the Ancient War, who helped us. That's all."

"Humph…and I thought I'd finally earned the right to die." said Kratos. "But you're as soft heartened as ever." He then got to his feet and walked over to Origin's Seal.

"Hold on!" Lloyd exclaimed. "You can't be…are you going to break the seal?!"

"That is what you desire, is it not?" Kratos asked as he began to glow.

"But then, you'll…" Lloyd trailed. Kratos revealed his wings as he released the Mana from his body. Upon doing so, he fell back but was caught by Yuan and Mithos. "Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Don't worry, he's alive." said Yuan. "We gave him some of our mana."

"Dad, are you really okay?" Lloyd asked.

"Looks like I failed to die once more." Kratos replied.

"You stupid bastard!" Lloyd spat. "You can die any time but when you die, that's the end!"

"You want him to live in eternal damnation?" Mithos asked, visibly mortified.

"Who said anything like that?!" Lloyd refuted. "What will you accomplish by dying? Nothing! There is no meaning in dying!"

"You're right." Kratos finally said before passing out. "To think, I had to have my son teach me such an obvious lesson."

"Kratos will be fine." said Yuan. "Form the pact with Origin." We turned in time to see Origin appear before us.

"You, who lack the right." said Origin. "I have lost faith in all things. Have you come here to disappoint me as well?"

"Are you bound by a pact with Mithos?" Lloyd asked.

"My pact with Mithos was broken the moment I was freed." Origin replied. "Never again shall anyone make use of my power."

"Even if we make a vow?" Sheena asked. "We need the Eternal Sword!"

"I want to use the Eternal Sword to reunite the two worlds and revive the Giant Kharlan Tree!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Unless we do something, the worlds will never stop vying for mana and everyone will suffer!"

"That situation was born from the weakness of creatures who are unable to accept those that are different." said Origin.

"That may be true, but mistakes can be corrected." Lloyd replied.

"Some things cannot be corrected." The King of Summon Spirits shot back.

"Even so, we have to do everything we can." said Colette.

"I'm not gonna give up." Lloyd added. "From the moment they are born, everyone has the right to live. I want to reclaim that. Humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, and even Summon Spirits. Everyone has a right to life!"

"Origin…" Kratos began. "For almost an eternity, I thought that the only way to save this world was to cling to Mithos' ideals. Just as you once agreed with Mithos' ideals I, too thought his was the only way. But Lloyd is different. He taught me that in order to change something, you must do it yourself. It is not enough to merely rely on someone else and go along with their ideals."

"And I have learned that it is wrong to hole the entire planet morally responsible for things beyond its control. Said Mithos. "For 4,000 years, I held Sylverant and Tethe'alla hostage in a bid to revive my sister Martel. I didn't care about the people I hurt or the lives sacrificed in the process. It was the most selfish thing I've ever done and I couldn't face my sister in the next life before I made things right."

"You who possess the right of summoning." Origin said to Sheena. "Make your vow."

"Origin!" Lloyd exclaimed excitedly. "Then you'll...!"

"I will try once more to believe in people." Origin replied. "I shall do my duty in order to create a world you speak of—a world in which everyone can live equally."

"I, Sheena, have but one vow." Sheena said. "To reclaim a world in which everyone can live freely. A world in which no life is sacrificed meaninglessly! That's all."

"Then we shall create a pact upon that vow." Origin said as he drew his weapons. "Now, fight!"

"Allow us to join you." I said as Celes and I stepped forward with our new swords in hand. Together with Lloyd and Sheena, we were able to best Origin.

"Pact-maker Sheena and Lloyd, I place my power in your hands." Origin said afterwards. "With that power, transform the Eternal Sword into a blade to save all life! However, the Eternal Sword remains, as by Mithos' pact, unusable by those who lack the blood of elves. You must master the sword by your own power and forge a new bond with it." Sheena then received the Diamond Pact Ring and the power to summon the King of Summon Spirits.

"You did it, Lloyd…" Mithos said as everyone else began to gather. Suddenly, his clone's Cruxis Crystal floated from him and over to Celes.

"There's no time… I'll take your body!" Mithos' clone said before possessing her.

"NO!" She exclaimed as she struggled to fight him off.

"He survived in the Cruxis Crystal!" Virginia exclaimed. "Celes' body will be taken over unless we do something!"

"Celes!" Lloyd exclaimed before taking it from her, much to everyone's surprise.

"Damn, you interfered!" Mithos' clone said with Lloyd's body. "Fine, I'll just take this body."

"I command you to stop right now!" Yuan roared as he took out his weapon. "Release him!"

"No way." Mithos' clone replied. "If you want him, come and get him!"

"Seal Evil!" Katrin suddenly said as she pointed her Flame Lance at Lloyd. A beam of light struck Lloyd's arm, causing him to lose the Cruxis Crystal and Mithos \' Clone's hold on him. Mithos destroyed it before it could touch the ground, ridding us of his clone forever.

"Now the danger's finally over..." Raine sighed. "That had me worried." When the ground began to move, we realized there was more.

---

"Everyone look!" Regal exclaimed. We looked up in time to see the Tower of Salvation collapsing, pieces of it falling towards Heimdall.

"It looks like Botta was successful." Hannah remarked. "I asked Botta to make the Tower of Salvation disappear after we left the Great Seed Chamber. It looks like he had to do it the old fashioned way..."

"We'll evacuate the elves for now!" Lloyd said. "The entire village will be destroyed unless we do something!" We ran back to the village and helped all the elves safely escape. Myself, Lloyd, Genis, Raine and Virginia went to the Elf Elder's House to rescue him. We found him gathering books.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Lloyd fumed. "Get out of here!"

"I cannot leave without the others of this village." he replied. "I will remain in the village until the end."

"We're evacuating the remaining people so run, now!" I exclaimed.

"I can't believe I'm being saved by humans and half-elves…" he muttered as he grabbed his staff. That was when Virginia smacked him.

"How can you say things like that at a time like this?!" She, Raine and Genis said in unison.

"Yes…We may have been foolish." The Elf Elder said as he rubbed his smart. "I entrust my villagers to you." We quickly got him out of the village. Kratos met us at the entrance.

"It appears that was the last remaining elf in the village." He said. "Lloyd and Celes, you should get out as well."

"What is that?!" Lloyd suddenly exclaimed. We looked up to see a huge purple mass in the sky.

"That…is Derris-Kharlan." Kratos replied calmly.

"Impossible!" Virginia exclaimed. "How could a planet exist so close?!"

"It is the Eternal Sword that makes the impossible possible." Yuan replied. "It was hidden by the protective barrier projected from the Tower of Salvation but it has always existed there, for four thousand years."

"Yes." A new voice said. We turned to see it was Tabatha. "Now that Origin's seal is broken, Derris-Kharlan and the Great Seed will be free to roam the universe once more.

"If Derris-Kharlan is a mass of mana, and the Great Seed is the seed of the Giant Kharlan Tree, what will happen to the world if they are both gone?" Collette asked.

"It will wither and die from mana deprivation." Raine replied.

"This is a much bigger problem than reuniting the worlds!" Genis exclaimed. "What should we do, Lloyd?!"

"We're going to have to stop it from floating away." he replied.

"But the Tower of Salvation was destroyed." Regal pointed out.

"Use the Eternal Sword." Kratos suggested. "If you really made a pact with Origin, with its power over time and space…"

"But Altessa is not well enough to move." Yuan remarked. "Who is going to craft the Ring of the Pact?"

"Oh, Dirk!" I exclaimed. "He could do it!"

"He's our only hope right now." said Lloyd in agreement. "We'll go to Sylverant!" Suddenly, several Renegades approached the group.

"Lord Yuan, the Dimensional Transfer Gate is down!" One of them said. "We're trying to get it back online but it'll be impossible to get to Sylverant until repairs are done."

"We don't have the time to wait!" Yuan snapped. "We need to get to Sylverant now!"

"Spacial Rend!" Mark suddenly said before slashing the air. Everyone looked in surprise to see what looked like Iselia in the space he created.

"What the?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Oh, that's right." Dad said. "The Twilight Blade blade has to power to etch paths into other dimensions. That was quick thinking, Mark."

---

"Let's go, everyone!" Raine said as everyone poured into the opening. Before passing through, Yuan said something to one of his underlings. After he passed through, the opening closed. We more or less ran from there to Dirk's House. When we arrived, Lloyd and Mithos explained everything.

"So...you want me to forge the Ring of the Pact?" Dirk asked, amazed. "A dwarf who's losing his skills by living on the surface?"

"There is no one else." Kratos replied. "The dwarf that has the skills is unable to move."

"Dad…please!" Lloyd pleaded.

"We've gathered all of the necessary items." Kratos said as he, Mithos and Yuan dropped several artifacts on the table.

"This is adamantite for polishing…" Dirk whispered, impressed. "And what's this piece of wood?"

"It's Sacred Wood." said Kratos. "This must fuel the fire."

"Is that why Hannah and Terra were traveling all over Tethe'alla?" Lloyd asked. "To prepare all of this..."

"…" was Kratos' reply.

"You have no idea how much of a chore it was, too." Terra said with a laugh.

"I see...so everything is set." Dirk remarked. "I can't very well refuse after you've gone through so much trouble, now can I? And I suppose it won't hurt me to help out my dearest son. After all…I'm his father, too. 'Dwarven Vow #1: Work together for the sake of a peaceful world.' All right, let's do it."

"Yeah!" Lloyd cheered. "Come on, Presea!" In a few hours, the Eternal Ring was complete. "With this, I'll be able to use the Eternal Sword, right?" Lloyd asked as he placed it on his hand. Suddenly, Kratos knelt to the floor. "Dad! What's wrong?!"

"Lloyd, you've really grown stronger." Kratos remarked as he got to his feet. "I never expected you'd be able to inflict such a serious wound on my angelic form. Lloyd, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Would you allow me to join your journey once more?" Kratos asked him. "Not just as a member of Cruxis but as your father."

"Of course." Lloyd replied. "I was hoping you'd say that!"

"Then, use this." Kratos replied as he handed Flameberge to Lloyd. "We'll reunite the worlds together."

"That's a marvelous blade." Dirk remarked as he opened a box near his workshop. He returned with the Vorpal Sword and handed it to Lloyd. "I doubt you have a sword in your possession to match it Take this with you. It's a present I promised you. Now that you've grown all up, I can entrust you with the greatest sword I ever forged."

"Wow…I'll become even stronger with these two swords." Lloyd said as he held them in each hand. "Thanks Dirk and…Kratos. I have great dads. One made a ring for his son using the lost arts, and another risked his life to protect his son…in secrecy."

"Yeah, you've got great parents!" Dirk exclaimed.

"Well then, let's be on our way." Kratos said as we started for the door. "Everyone is waiting for us to reunite the Sylverant and Tethe'alla."

"Everyone, let's go!" Lloyd said once we rejoined the rest of the group that was waiting outside Dirk's House.

"I just opened a door to where the Tower of Salvation is but then I got to thinking." said Celes. "Why don't we go to the Coliseum in Meltokio for a bit? Nebilim's got hordes of monsters under his command and even though he's gone, they'll stop at nothing to keep us from getting to the Great Seed."

"She brings up a point." Seles remarked as she shot Zelos a glance. "That, and I think some of us may by loosing their edge in battle."

"That's a good idea but let's secure the Eternal Sword first." Hannah advised. "With it, we can go from the Coliseum directly to the Coliseum."

"True enough." Dad remarked as we entered the ruined tower. Lloyd walked up to the Eternal Sword and yanked it from where Mithos left it. It split in two, its powers flowing into the Material Blade, which Lloyd then unsheathed.

"You, who possess the new right." we heard the voice of Origin say. "What do you ask of me?"

"Carry us to Derris-Kharlan." Lloyd said. "Not now, though. We're going to do some training in Meltokio for a bit."

"Understood." Origin replied. "Summon me when you are ready to go to Derris-Kharlan." With that, Lloyd gained the Eternal Swordsman Title.

---

And so ends Chapter 27. There's three chapters left. My LONG PLANNED Coliseum chapter, the Welgaia Chapter and of course, the final Chapter. I make no guarantees but the next chapter should be up by the end of the week!


	28. Chapter 28: Tales of the World

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Chapter 28: Tales of the World

---

A/N: The Chapter title alone should be enough to tell you. Characters from just about every other Tales Game under the sun including Radiant Mythology and ND3 will make an appearance. Just WHO will be revealed...now.

Oh, and a quick note: Like it or not, I'm using everyone's English names. Bite me, etc. if you don't like it.

---

We walked into the Coliseum ready for an exciting workout. Dad gave us the go-ahead to use our full power. "If you don't fight at your fullest potential here, there's no way I can allow you to take part in the final battle." he said.

"Welcome to Meltokio Coliseum!" said the secretary. "You all are in for a treat, for Today is Tales of the World Day. Warriors from faraway lands have come here in droves to battle and admission is free. Will all of you be participating?"

"Of course!" Lloyd piped up. "Wow, this sounds exciting!"

"Tales of the World Day, huh?" I remarked as I pocketed my Playstation Portable. "Sounds like the game I was just playing..." I looked up in time to see a man dressed in a blue uniform and sporting glasses enter the lobby.

"New contestants, huh?" he remarked as he looked at us. "This should be interesting..." he then walked down the hall to get ready.

"Hey Mark, wasn't that...?" Dad asked me.

"Jade from Tales of the Abyss, yes." I replied with excitement. I noticed the Twilight Blade beginning to glow gently. "Even my sword is getting excited! This is going to be AWESOME!"

"Ted Toss, Abyssion Highwind and Hannah Patterson." a new voice said. We turned to see three swordsmen—whom I recognized as Cress from Phantasia, Luke from Abyss and Reid from Eternia—standing there with another attendant. "These three will be your opponents in a Team Battle. Please prepare for battle."

"It looks like we will be fighting in the first battle of the day." said Cress. "I can tell you'll give us a good fight just by looking."

"Believe me, you have no idea..." I heard Zelos say.

"The rest of you may watch the fight from the stands." the first attendant said as she pointed down another hall. "Someone will come get you when your battle is about to start." We took our seats and I ended up sitting between Lloyd and Celes. Kratos sat on the other side of Lloyd and Angel sat on the other side of Celes. I looked in time to see Dad's group and the mixed Tales group enter the arena and enter their own fighting stances.

"Do you think those guys have a chance against Dad's group?" I asked Celes.

"I'd say none." She replied with a smile. "I don't expect this to last long either!" The Emcee then signaled for the battle to start. The sound of six swords unsheathing at the same time was heard, followed by them clashing at intervals of two. Dad ended up going against Cress, Abyssion Reid and Hannah Luke. They broke away from each other and clashed again and again before the Mixed Tales group started using their trademark techs.

"Pay attention, Lloyd." Kratos said. "You might learn something just by watching."

"They're moving so fast..." Lloyd trailed. "I can barely keep up!" Dad suddenly jumped into the air, put away his sword and launched an Aurabolt attack. It knocked the Mixed Tales Group off their feet, leaving them wide open. Abyssion picked then to use Blast Burn for more Damage, which Hannah followed up with Frenzy Plant to immobilize them. At that point, swordsmen from other worlds yielded.

"The Champions of Earth have won the match!" The Emcee announced. "That was an impressive battle!"

"That was nothing." I heard Abyssion say before they left the arena.

"It looks like we're up." I heard Angel say as she and Mithos stood. Then I remembered the crazy bet they made two days ago. This would no doubt be entertaining.

"I hope you don't mind me using this form." Mithos said as he transformed into his Yggdrassil Form.

"Only if you don't mind if I transform." Angel replied as she underwent a transformation of her own. She extended her wings as her skin became a golden yellow, her hair white and her eyes blue. I'd heard of her transforming before but to actually see it was something in its own.

"You're all about to witness Angel using her full power." said Katrin. "Only the Trinity Blade and the Twilight Blade are a match for her now!"

"Holy Lance!" Yggdrassil said as he cast. The attack hit Angel but she didn't seem to even feel it. Of course, Yggdrassil was unmoved. He moved in and use Outburst, which sent her up high. He then followed it up with Shining Bind, which sent Angel crashing into the arena. "Had enough yet?" he asked as he drew close, prepared to cast something. Suddenly, Angel blasted him clear across the arena with a Fire Ball.

"Now it's my turn." Angel said as she began to glow. "ULTIMATE END!" We watched as Yggdrassil was pulled toward her by some supernatural power. Once he was close enough, Angel began to use every single tech, skill, spell and summon known by all of us.

"That has GOT to hurt!" Zelos exclaimed as we watched.

"Don't worry—she won't kill him." Katrin replied. "At least not on purpose, anyway."

"I am SO glad that isn't me." Genis and Leon said in unison.

"FINAL JUDGEMENT!" Angel suddenly exclaimed. A sword of light descended from the heavens, which Angel directed at Yggdrassil. It impaled him and then exploded. When the light show finally faded, Mithos and Angel—now back in their original forms—were standing the middle of a ruined arena. Mithos, however was out cold. Angel showed no signs of exhaustion, however. "Planning gets in the way of Execution..." she trailed before the bell rang, signaling the match was now over.

---

"Looks like I won!" Angel cheered afterwards. "I hope that wasn't too much for ya, Mithos. I kinda had to use my full power, you know?"

"Uh...uh..." he managed to say as Yuan and Raine carted him to the infirmary.

"I've never seen a spell like that before." Leon said. "How did you do that?"

"All this time I've been carefully studying everyone's moves and whatnot." She explained. "When I saw that Abyssion guy was able to use techs exclusives to certain classes, I knew it might be possible for me as well. I did some experimenting and this was the result. Ultimate End is a spell only I can use, though."

"Why's that?" asked Sheena.

"I assume it's because Angel was genetically engineered to be able to use such a vast amount of Force Energy." said Mom. "Her Force Mode Transformation everyone saw is another such example. I doubt myself or even one of Katrin's children would be able to use Ultimate End, either."

"Whoa...techniques no one else can use..." Lloyd trailed. "Sounds incredible..."

"Fin and Katrin Toss, report to the arena." we heard an attendant say.

"Sounds like it's our turn." Fin said with a chuckle. "You ready to do this?"

"Of course." Katrin replied as they made their way to the arena. The rest of us quickly returned to our seats so we could watch. Their opponents would be none other than Meredy and Farah from Eternia and Chester and Arche from Phantasia.

"Four on two hardly seems fair." Lloyd remarked.

"You're right." I said. "That Mixed Tales Team doesn't have a chance."

"Wha?!" Lloyd exclaimed. At that moment, the battle began.

"Just watch." I said with a smile.

"Let's use that attack we've been working on." I heard Katrin say to Fin.

"I was just about to suggest that." Fin replied as he got ready. When their opponents advanced, Fin pounced with his most powerful technique, Atlas Strength. At the same time, Katrin attacked with hers, Fire Drill.

"Ready—ATLAS DRILL!" They said together. And in one go, they took out the mixed Tales Team before they could even attack.

"And just like that, the match is over..." Loyd trailed. "You guys are making it all too easy!"

"Funny you should say that." Yuan said as he came back with Raine and Mithos. "Myself, Kratos and Mithos will be fighting together as the leaders of Cruxis next. Martel would be with us if she were alive but Raine offered to fill in for her."

"That should be fun." said Colette. "But who will you be facing?"

"Some of us." Hannah replied. "Mark Anthony, Celes, Leon and Jenna to be more direct."

"Finally, some action!" Leon exclaimed. "Well, let's not waste any time!"

"You'd better make it a good one." Dad said with a sigh. "Everyone is going to be watching."

---

We walked into the arena to face our opponents. No doubt, this would be one interesting match. Mithos was still weak from his encounter with Angel and I had no doubt that if I didn't take advantage, someone else would. And then Leon decided to end the match with one move. "Bear witness to everlasting winter—SUB ZERO!" He exclaimed. In the next moment, the entire arena was frosted over, our opponents frozen in place. "Looks like I used too much power." Leon said sheepishly.

"Solarbeam!" I said. A beam of white light fell from above, melting the ice. The Cruxis leaders simply blinked in surprise.

"What just happened?" Yuan asked.

"You all just got owned is what happened!" Jenna exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" they exclaimed. The Emcee nodded in agreement.

"And that's that last match of the day." Dad said as he, along the rest of our group came. "Regardless, I had a lot of fun but we really should get going."

"What are you talking about?" Sheena asked him. "The rest of us have matches coming up soon."

"There they are!" someone shouted. We turned to see the other Tales groups burst into the arena, half of them some of us already beat.

"You all have some nerve!" Harold exclaimed. "Just because you're from another world doesn't mean you can put us out of commission!"

"You have defeated us individually but together, we're unstoppable!" said Natalia as she readied her bow. "Let's get 'em!"

"YEAH!" everyone else roared as they began their advance.

"Aw, jeez..." Zelos trailed.

"There's only one thing I can think of doing in a time like this." Kratos said as he began to glow. "Sacred Powers, cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls..."

"Uh-oh!" Mithos exclaimed. "Everybody take cover!"

"Rest in Peace, Sinners-JUDGMENT!" Kratos finished. Everyone else hit the deck in anticipation but nothing happened. Kratos just faked his trademark Angelic Spell! It was real enough for everyone else, who was still on the group.

"Get us out of here!" I whispered to Celes, who nodded. Her sword began to glow. The light soon filled the entire stadium. As the other Tales Characters looked on, I could tell they thought this was some kind of new ultra-powerful attack about to be unleashed upon them. Everything then went white. The next thing I saw was the destroyed Seal Room.

---

And so ends Chapter 28. Two more Chapters. The next one is Welgaia and then the final chapter. Yes, friends: The end is near!


	29. Chapter 29: Nightmares Revisited

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Chapter 29: Nightmares Revisited

---

A/N: Most, but not all of my Original Characters will get seduced by some form of tragedy. I'm just going to make 'em work with the ones already in the game to save time. This is nothing compared to what I have planned for the Final Chapter...

---

"Here we go, everyone!" Lloyd exclaimed before we were transported to Derris-Kharlan. In this next area, bits and pieces of the Tower of Salvation floated around above and below us. After going as deep as we could, Mithos and Zelos suddenly stopped the group. "Go ahead—tell them!" Zelos urged.

"Guys, there's something I forgot to tell you." Mithos said nervously.

"And what would that be?" Abyssion asked him. "When we were last here, I put Welgaia and my castle under full lock down."

"What's that mean?" asked Genis.

"It means all the security measures, traps and so on are active." Yuan replied. "The only way to get around them is to have the Eternal Sword, Trinity Blade, Twilight Saber or a special badge somewhere in Welgaia."

"What about this thing we're standing on?" Colette suddenly asked. Everyone looked to see that'd all fallen for a trap.

"What the?!" Lloyd exclaimed from the other side. It seems he, Mithos, Seles, Virginia and Yuan managed to evade getting snared in it.

"It's a trap!" Raine exclaimed. "Mother, stay back!"

"Lloyd, I'm sorry." Colette said. "It looks like I'm going to trouble you again…" She then disappeared into thin air.

"Lloyd, help us!" Genis exclaimed before disappearing.

"Forget about us!" Raine said to him before vanishing. "Find a way to evade this trap!"

"This device is not life-threatening." Presea noted. "Please don't worry."

"As long as you're all right Lloyd, we still haven't lost." said Regal. "You must get to the Great Seed!"

He and Presea then vanished.

"Find the Derris Emblem!" Kratos instructed. "With it, you can disarm the trap...!" That was all he said before disappearing with Zelos.

"I never thought I'd fall for one of these." Dad said with a chuckle. "Good, it seems some of you managed to--" He disappeared before finishing.

"Since Celes has the Trinity Blade, she and Mark can safely bypass this trap." Hannah noted before vanishing.

"What about us?" Katrin asked before following suit. "Mithos, you son of a...!"

"The rest of you just sit tight until the trap is disarmed." said Fin. "Leave it to Celes, Lloyd and Mark."

"We're counting on you for this." said Abyssion. "Do not disappoint me." The rest of the group then vanished.

"What the hell is going on?!" Lloyd exclaimed. "What happened to everyone...?"

"Everything is all right." Mithos replied. "They are somewhere in this city."

"It looks like we'll have to wait for you guys to get rid of this annoying force field." Damien said with a laugh. "I'll be damned if I step in there!"

"Are you guys sure you'll be ok without us?" Mark asked.

"We'll manage." Angel replied. "I still can't believe my Magic can't break that trap."

"Well just hang on until we disarm the trap, then." I said before Mark and I joined Lloyd's group. "We promise to get you through here in a timely fashion." As we were teleported into Welgaia, everything turned weird. I noticed Lloyd was experiencing it as well.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

"Martel! How could you?!" We heard the voice of Mithos say. We both turned to see Mithos cradling his dead sister in his arms. Standing opposite him was Yuan and Mithos.

"Human!" Yuan spat. "Your kind must not be allowed to live!"

"How far are you willing to go to take control of the mana?" Kratos asked. In this moment I realized they were looking past us.

"I'll never forgive you…" Mithos trailed. "You humans are all the same!" I turned to see Dad, Hannah and Abyssion were behind us with their swords at the ready.

"You didn't think we'd let you get away with what you're doing, would you?" Dad asked Yuan. "So long as we're the Champions of Earth, it will never happen."

"Why is Dad...?!" Lloyd asked as Dad and Yuan prepared to attack.

"Dad?!" I exclaimed. "What the hell?!"

"Lloyd, don't lose yourself!" We heard the voice of Kratos say as everything returned to normal. "The truth is within you!"

"What was that?" I asked. "And why was Dad, Hannah and Abyssion..."

---

"It's…my memory." Mithos replied. "After the Ancient War…when Martel was killed…"

"Dad and the others were there...weren't they?" Celes asked. The three remained silent. "ANSWER ME!"

"Yes, they were." Yuan said. "Abyssion used his sword to open a gate to this world from Earth, where he, Hannah and Ted came from."

"Martel had just formed a Pact with Verius, the Summon Spirit of Heart." said Mithos. "We planned to have Verius erase the discord between the races but then they got wind of it and met us outside the Tower of Salvation. It was over in an instant."

"Why is it they don't have any memory of this?" I asked. "I've actually been wondering for awhile how you guys seemed to know of us all this time."

"WHAT?!" Celes and I exclaimed in unison.

"You two were with them." Yuan replied. "Celes, you had the Trinity Blade and Mark the Twilight Blade. After killing Martel, Mithos grabbed the Eternal Sword to face you two. Not even the power of Origin was able to overcome the might of the Trinity Blade."

"I don't remember any of that..." I trailed.

"Well, Katrin or Mom could make people forget stuff..." Celes remarked. "They might have erased our memory of being here before after returning to earth. Talk about sneaky..."

"We can talk it over with them once we link up with them again." said Yuan. "Let's get going." We walked into the main courtyard. It was completely deserted. Suddenly, we spotted Kratos, Colette and Sheena being pulled into a bottomless pit. After helping them snap out of it and defeating the Fugitive we went to where we were locked up before. Presea and Regal were in the cell on the left and in the right were Dad, Hannah, Katrin and Kyle.

"What the?!" I exclaimed we came over. The cell door swung open and they all came out.

"I thought I just saw Mark and Celes." said Hannah.

"It looks like we're about to experience an illusion." Dad remarked.

"They can't see us?!" Celes exclaimed. "Oh, great..."

"Who's there?!" Katrin exclaimed as a group of people approached them, paying Celes and me no mind. None of them I knew.

"Oh, come on." One of them said to Katrin. "Surely you know your grandmother, Celeste Toss."

"Grandmother...!" Celes exclaimed.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" I spat.

"But then again you wouldn't since I was dead 3 years before you were born." Celeste said. "And by my own son's hand, too."

"This has to be the most ridiculous illusion I've ever seen..." Hannah scoffed.

"You're one to talk." One of the other figures said. Upon seeing her, I saw Hannah go pale. "But you were fine with killing your own mother as well. You really must be full of it if you think you'll ever be forgiven of such a thing. There is no forgiveness for someone like you!"

"That's because you had it coming." Hannah replied as she unsheathed her sword. "It took 16 years for me to build up the courage to put you out of your misery, you pathetic excuse of a human. I don't regret what I did, either. Now, let me send you back to hell where you belong!"

"Wait!" Kyle exclaimed as he stepped between the two. "We all know this isn't real! Why are you reacting in this way?"

"If this isn't real, then what do you call us, son?" One of the remaining two figures said. "You would dare call us a figment of your imagination?"

"Mom...Dad?" Kyle trailed in horror. "NO! You're both dead! You're not real! You're both dead!" In that moment, the two of them vanished from sight. It was then that Kyle noticed me and Celes for the first time. "You're here?! Then..."

"You've overcome the most tragic moment of your life." I finished. "Congratulations Kyle."

"I can only imagine the outcome if Leon were here..." he trailed before turning to Katrin, Dad and Hannah. "They're not real. You all can overcome them just like I just did."

"That may be so, but you can never truly be free of your past." Celeste replied. "685 souls extinguished plus millions more with a single attack, all in cold blood. You've killed more people than any other human in history. For that, you are the most deserving to die. Katrin has already proven that she can kill you before."

"And you, Hannah will never know peace for what you have done." Hannah's mother said. "Perhaps my only mistake was not aborting you when I had the chance. I am ashamed to know the person who killed me came our of my body."

"I don't know what to believe anymore." said Katrin. "It's true I hated Dad enough to want to kill him when I found out about what he did, but that was before I was born. Then when Dad rampaged and I had the opportunity to do it, I couldn't."

"Why?" Kyle asked.

"Because then she'd be no different from me." Dad replied. "It's true I've killed a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I don't have a heart. I also know that one day, I'll have to pay for most of them but not while I still have things to do."

"Do you feel the same way, Hannah?" Kyle asked.

"Of course." she replied. "I can relate to what Ted feels as well. I know what I did was wrong and I know that one day, I'll have to pay for what I did. My greatest fear is not a ghost from the past but my children being the ones who have to pay for what I did."

"I couldn't have put it better." Dad remarked. "I don't know that many parents who wouldn't willingly give up their lives for their children. In a way, that's what our mothers did. Mine had to die so I would survive three executions and yours so you would have independence."

"I've also been learning to let go of the past." said Katrin. "Too much has been going on for me to keep bringing up things that were out of my control. All of you illusions can leave now. I'm done talking to you!" Finally, everyone was able to see me and Celes.

"I was wondering when you were going to come to your senses." I said with a smile. "Me...I don't know what I'd do if I were in your positions."

"Don't worry about it." Hannah replied. "Just don't talk about it anymore."

---

We walked to another part of the city where we met up with Raine and Genis. After snapping them out of the illusion we finally had all the members of the Symphonia Team again—except Colette. We doubled back to the main hall where we noticed the path leading to Mithos' castle. It was here we not only found Colette but the rest of our group who was missing up to now.

"Wh…what is this?" Lloyd asked as we walked into a symbol etched into the floor.

Colette: This is…

"This is the Derris Emblem." Mithos calmly replied. "It's a special seal I created to block the path to my castle. I created it by linking my soul with the fabric of space by the power of the Eternal Sword."

"So that's why the trap didn't affect some us." Lloyd remarked.

"With this, the path to Mithos' castle is now open." said Yuan. "The others should be able to get through that barrier as well."

"Is the Great Seed inside the castle?" asked Virginia.

"Yes, in the Throne Room." Mithos replied. "I had it moved there in preparation for the collapse of the Tower of Salvation." At that moment, Angel and the others warped in.

"It took you long enough." Damien scoffed. "I was getting restless." The rest of us simply laughed.

---

End Chapter 29. Final Chapter coming up!


	30. Chapter 30: Is This Goodbye?

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Chapter 30: Is this Goodbye?

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A/N: The FINAL Chapter! Read on the find out what happens at the VERY END!

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We entered Mithos' Castle, Vindheim where we learned Zelos' Group solved an intricate puzzle earlier, getting a Sacred Stone in the process. This would be needed purify a cursed book in Sybak. It was decided that would be left to the Symphonia Team once the world was returned to normal. We walked up the massive steps of the main hall and came face to face with a Dark Dragon. We were more surprised when it spoke.

"I am the gatekeeper." It said. "You, who would open the gate, stand forth and destroy me!"

"Let's do it!" Lloyd exclaimed before he, Zelos and Kratos downed it with Cross Thrust. Genis finished it off with Indignation. After the Dark Dragon was defeated, we received the Vindheim Key. I held it up to the door and we all watched the huge doors creak open. "This is it, everyone." Lloyd said as we stood together for what would likely be the last time. "Are you ready?"

"I'm prepared to accept whatever happens in the coming battle…and we will win!" Raine exclaimed.

"We're gonna win." said Sheena. "For Mizuho, Corrine...and for all of you who believed in a coward like me."

"And…for myself, too." Colette added. "I don't want anyone else to make the same mistake I did. No one should have to think that he has to sacrifice his own life…"

"Everyone should be able to live freely, no matter who they are." Genis remarked. "Humans and elves and even us. It's okay for us to be here, in this world."

"That's why we must recover the Great Seed and revive the Giant Tree." said Regal. "Without it, not only will we be unable to restore peace between the different races…"

"The world itself will die." Presea finished. "We can't let that happen. We must reunite the worlds. Afterwards we shall make a new promise to the new world."

"The people that I like and the people that I don't both have the right to live in the same world as I do." Zelos declared. "Because that's the way things should be. So count me in. I won't run from this one."

"To atone for allowing this twisted world to exist, I will fight with everything I have." Kratos before adding "And win."

"For the longest time, we Elves turned our backs on the needs of the world even though we were partially to blame." said Virginia. "As a representative of Heimdall, I will see to this world's restoration."

"Only be reviving the Great Seed will life for all Half Elves start to get better." Seles remarked. "You all can count me in!"

"It's been 4,000 years since the Kharlan War." said Yuan. "I think it's time we finally bury what's left of that time."

"Only by reuniting the worlds will Martel's hopes and dreams truly be realized." said. "I plan to see them become reality in her place."

"All right, let's go everyone!" Lloyd pied up. "We're going to restore a world where everyone can

live freely!"

"After all that, I doubt any of us could add anything that hasn't been said already." Dad remarked. "Let us write the final chapter of Sylverant and Tethe'alla as separate entities and the first of them as one."

"We've already come this far." said Mark as he unsheathed the Twilight Blade. "All that's left is to finish strong!" We go onto the transporter, which took us to the area where the Great Seed was. As we walked over to it, all the Guardians except mine and Mark's began to glow. Energy began to flow out of them and towards the single throne in front of us.

"What's going on?!" Lloyd exclaimed as the energy took the shape of a figure. We watched in shock as the figure stood and unsheathed a rather familiar looking sword.

"Impossible!" I exclaimed. "But we killed him!" Suddenly, the twelve Devil's Arms flew towards hi, giving the figure a solid form.

"**I want to thank all of you..."** he said. **"This is the POWER that I've been seeking! ALL the POWER is within me! NO ONE will be able to defy ME!"**

"Correction: We killed Abyssion." Yuan remarked. "Nebilim is a God and therefore can only be slain with a weapon or spell capable of doing such."

"This is where I come in." I said as I stepped forward, Trinity Blade at the ready.

"You dare point that at me?!" Nebilim roared.

"Let's make this quick, Angel!" I said before running towards Nebilim. He unsheathed Fafnir and used Victory Light Spear, which I dodged.

"Blazing Storm!" Angel said before launching her trademark spell. It scored a direct hit but Nebilim kept coming. I managed to connect Tiger Rage to stop his advance. That's when I decided to finish the fight.

"Pay for your sins with death!" I exclaimed as the Trinity Blade began to glow. "Holy Cross!" A field of energy appeared and blasted Nebilim. I finished him off with one more slash that finally brought him down.

"How...can anyone...be more powerful than me...?" He asked as he coughed up dark red blood.

"The hopes of Sylverant and Tethe'alla is with us." I said as I raised my sword above his head. "We'd betray that if we died so close to victory." I then cut off his head, finishing the match for good.

---

"I can't believe I took us this long to finally be rid of that guy." Yuan remarked, clearly annoyed. "He was really getting on my nerves."

"I'm just glad we didn't have to fight Mithos." I said with a smile. "Because he wouldn't stand a chance if we did."

"When you become a lifeless being, you can control your appearance and growth, you know." Mithos said before switching between both of his forms for no apparent reason. "And I thought the only way to eliminate discrimination is for everyone to become the same race..."

"What you hoped for was nothing but a dream, Mithos." Lloyd pointed out. "Discrimination comes from the heart."

"He's right, Mithos." Genis added. "It's the weakness of people's hearts that causes discrimination. Looking down upon others while placing themselves too high…"

That's prettymuch what you did as Leader of Cruxis!" Sheena exclaimed. "You looked down on humans and elves, treating them like cattle. That's the weakness of your heart."

"Even if people became lifeless beings, nothing would've changed. Discrimination would continue."

"Then where should the half-elves go?" Mithos asked. "We aren't accepted anywhere. We opened our hearts, but no one took us in. Where should we live?"

"You can live anywhere you like." Lloyd offered.

"Don't make me laugh." Seles replied.

"I'm serious!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Anywhere is fine. If you aren't doing anything wrong, you should just live proudly in the open."

"It's because we couldn't do that…that I…that we wanted a place of our own..." Mithos trailed.

"Sorry, but don't act like you're the only victim here." Zelos cut in. "It doesn't even come close to justifying all the things that you've done."

"It is merely a motive, not a justification." Kratos added.

"What you've done caused meaningless suffering and death to countless people." Presea added. "Can you feel their pain?"

"People can change." Raine pointed out. "Even if they don't change right away. Months, years—as time passes, change is inevitable."

"Maybe not everything can be forgiven, but one can try to atone for one's sins." said Colette. "Can't you feel it in your heart?"

"Farewell, my shadow." Mithos said as he reverted from his Yggdrassil form. "You, who stand at the end of the path I chose not to follow. I wanted my own world, so I don't regret my choice. I would make the same choice all over again. I will continue to choose this path!" Mithos' exsphere then floated over to Lloyd's and merged with it. Right after that, the Eternal Sword appeared in Lloyd's hands.

"What does the new master of the pact ask of his sword?" We heard Origin ask.

"Restore the true form of our two worlds!" Lloyd replied as he held the sword up high. A short time later, we were teleported outside the Tower of Salvation. As soon as we got back, all eight Summon Spirits appeared.

"What are you all doing?" Sheena asked in surprise.

"Your wish is granted." Origin announced. "But there is no link. Without a link, the land will die. The world was originally separated into two in order to prevent its destruction. If it returns to its true form, the world lacks the mana to support itself. The land…is dying."

"I don't need to know why it's dying!" Lloyd refuted. "What do we need to do to stop it?"

"Support the two worlds by linking them with the Giant Tree." Origin replied. "That is the only way to stop the destruction of the land."

"We need to restore the Giant Kharlan Tree." said Yuan. "Lloyd, quickly! Before Derris-Kharlan flies off into the distant reaches of space, use its mana to awaken the Great Seed! That's the only way to

revive it."

"I'm counting on you, Eternal Sword!" Lloyd said as he raised it above his head.

"Derris-Kharlan is already at the edge of the gravitational field." Origin noted. "Not even Mithos Yggdrassil could stop this from happening. Do you still intend to try?"

"Of course." Lloyd replied.

"Even strengthened by your Exsphere, it is likely that your body will not withstand the force." Origin remarked. "Are you certain of your decision?"

"I said I'm doing it, so I'm doing it!" Lloyd exclaimed/ "It's not like we have a choice!"

"Very well." said Origin as the Great Seed began to gather Mana. Suddenly, the Eternal Sword disappeared and the Mana was deflected.

The camera shows the Great Seed getting mana, but was deflected. Lloyd who is

holding the Eternal Sword disappears.

"It's not working!" Lloyd exclaimed. "The Mana is being deflected!"

"The Great Seed is…already dead." Colette said with dread. That's when Lloyd sprouted wings and flew up after the Great Seed! Colette, Celes and myself followed suit. We soon caught up to Lloyd.

It looks like Derris-Kharlan stopped moving away." I remarked.

"Yeah, but why?" he asked dejectedly. "The Eternal Sword is gone…" As if on cue, it reappeared in his hands.

"Thank goodness!" Celes exclaimed. "I was afraid I'd have to use the Trinity Blade after all!"

"This is my final wish." said Lloyd as he raised the Eternal Sword.

"Please…awaken the Great Seed!" Colette pleaded.

"I beg you, please, wake up!" said Lloyd as Celes and I added our Swords' Powers to his.

"Rise Giant Kharlan Tree!" Celes and I said in unison. That's when the Great Seed finally sprouted near the destroyed Seal Room. The four of us flew in to get a better look. We were surprised to see someone standing near the tree.

"I am Martel, and also the incarnation of the Great Seed itself." she said. "Lloyd, Celes and Mark Anthony, your hopes as well as those of many others resurrected me."

"So you're Mithos' sister?!" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"Mithos' sister Martel, is one of the many souls within me." The Tree Spirit replied. "I am Mana, and I am the Giant Tree. I am a symbol of the many lives sacrificed to the Great Seed. I am the new spirit born to accompany the Giant Tree. And now the Seed has awakened anew along with me. Right now, it is only a small sapling. In its current rate, the tree will wither and die."

"Well then, how do we protect it?" Lloyd asked.

"You must provide the tree with love and adoration." Martel replied. "As long as those conditions are met, I shall always protect the sapling."

"If the tree starts to wither, I'll make sure, we won't let it die!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Then Lloyd, on behalf of all living things, I want you to give this tree a new name as a proof of the pact." Martel declared. "The Giant Kharlan Tree was planted here by the elves when they first came

is a guardian to watch over and protect them. This newly reborn tree protects elves, humans and the lives of all who have caught in between. Therefore, this tree requires a new name."

"Lloyd, pick a name for us." we heard a familiar voice say. It was Mithos. We turned to see the rest of the group had finally caught up to us. "A name for everyone's tree."

"So this tree is the link that connects the world." Lloyd remarked. "Okay, I got it! This tree's name is…"

"YGGDRASSIL!" Everyone else said in unison.

"How did you know I was going to name it that?" Lloyd asked.

"I'll give you one guess." I said as I held up the box for my copy of Tales of Phantasia, the 'sequel' to Tales of Symphonia...

---

"Grandmother, I'm home!" Colette announced as we walked into Iselia.

"Oh, Chosen One!" Phaidra exclaimed.

"No, Grandmother, I'm not a Chosen anymore." Colette replied.

"Colette, you have made us all proud." Phaidra said as she hugged her.

"Welcome home, Colette." Frank said with a smile.

"It's good to be home, Father." Colette said with a smile.

---

"...I see, so Mithos and Kratos will travel with Derris-Kharlan, wherever it may go." Altessa remarked. "What are you going to do? Go back to Iselia?"

"No, we're going out to visit new lands." Raine replied.

"We're going around the world to try and make it easier for half-elves to be accepted." Genis explained.

"It sounds like you have a difficult journey ahead of you." Altessa remarked.

"We can return to Iselia when we're tired." Raine replied.

"We will always have a home there." Genis said with a smile.

"And what about you, Virginia?" Altessa asked the older Sage.

"I'm going with them, of course." she replied. "As the mother of two Half-Elves who restored this world, I want to let other Elves know that Half-Elven offspring are not all that different from regular elves."

---

"Hi everyone! I'm back!" Sheena said as we entered Mizuho.

"Congratulations, Sheena!" a villager said.

"Don't congratulate me yet!" Sheena rebutted. "A whole new world lies before us now. We have to inform everyone about the revival of the Igaguri style."

"And for when Kuchinawa returns as well." Orochi pointed out.

"Yeah, come on everyone!" Sheena piped up. "Let's work as hard as we can! We're gonna make the village of Mizuho into a ninja clan to be proud of!"

---

"See, look what happened!" Zelos said to the King of Tethe'alla. "It's all because the Pope opened up his big mouth and tried to banish me and stuff, the whole world got messed up!"

"Well then, Chosen One, what would you have me do?" The King asked him.

"We'll send an emissary of peace to Iselia." he suggested.

"Who do you plan to send?" The King asked.

"How about my sister Seles and Sheena from Mizuho?" Zelos suggested. "Sheena's already involved."

"So the emissary of death becomes the emissary of peace…" The king remarked. "And for her to travel with a Half-Elf caught up in a family tragedy that almost ended the Mana Lineage of Tethe'alla..."

"I won't let you say no." Zelos declared. "Until you do something about the Church of Martel, I still have the rights of the Chosen, remember?"

"That, and as the Zelos' only living family you can look at it as a personal request from the Chosen." said Seles.

---

"Alicia…I'm finally myself again." Presea said at her sister's grave in Altamira. "Time is finally starting to flow again from that night sixteen years ago. You know what? I'm twenty-eight years old now. Can you believe that?"

"Were you…talking with Alicia?" Regal asked as he came off the Elevator, his shackles now gone. "I just got back from overseeing the destruction of part of the mine. Now that that's done…we can rest assured that no new Exspheres will be excavated."

"That's good to hear." Presea replied. "What are your plans now?"

"I'm going to devote the full resources of my company to revitalization projects in order to build a new and better world." Regal declared.

"I'll help, too." Presea replied. "I'm sure Alicia and Daddy would have wanted me to."

---

"Are you really going to Derris-Kharlan?" Lloyd asked Kratos and Mithos.

"If a half-elf of Cruxis remains here, the other half-elves will have no place to live." Mithos replied. "As a surviving member of Cruxis, I must bear the responsibility for what has happened."

"I'm going to collect all the Exspheres remaining in this land." Lloyd declared.

"And I will discard all of Cruxis' Exspheres into space." said Kratos. "I've dragged you into this until the very end."

"It's time for us to go." said Mithos. "Please use that sword to send us to Derris-Kharlan."

"Goodbye Dad!" Lloyd said before the pair warped out.

"Don't die before I do, Lloyd…my son." we heard the voice of Kratos say.

"Heh, Kratos sure doesn't make it easy..." Yuan trailed.

---

"Mom, Dad…left." Lloyd said at his mother's grave. "That was okay, wasn't it? For me to let him go. It was okay, right?"

"You wanted to go with him, didn't you?" Dirk asked.

"No, I have my own path to follow." Lloyd replied. "And Dad has his. And besides, I have a dad here already!"

"Then I won't say any more." Dirk remarked.

"Mom. I'll leave Dad's sword here beside you." Lloyd said as he placed a sheathed sword in front of the grave. "Well…I'm off!"

---

"Well, it looks like this is goodbye." I said as we stood outside the Otherworldly Gate. "The story has reached its conclusion so now we're going to go home as well."

"It was an honor to meet each and every one of you." said Raine. "I doubt we truly would've been able to restore this world without you all."

"Will we ever see you again?" asked Genis.

"I've heard Namco is making a sequel for the Wii so we'll see." I replied. "Stranger things have happened so we'll have to wait and see."

"Then let's not say goodbye." Lloyd remarked. "More like see ya later."

"Celes and I can use our swords to freely travel between this world and our world as well." I said. "So yeah, we might just drop in for a visit."

"It's time for us to go." Dad urged. "The Credits are almost over."

"Yes, of course." Celes said as the Trinity Blade began to glow. "Until next time...!" There was a flash of light as the Otherworldly Gate became active. Everyone quickly ran into it with Celes and myself the last ones to pass through. When we passed through, I was surprised to see that me and Celes were not back at home. Instead, we were in what looked like Toltus from Phantasia.

"No way..." I trailed. "When I saw Cress emerge from one of the buildings I realized we were indeed in the world of Phantasia.

"Mark, what the hell?!" Celes exclaimed as I took something out of my pocket. It was my Game Boy Advance, which was on. Apparently I forgot to turn it off when we were at the Meltokio Coliseum.

"_If there is evil in this world, it lurks in the hearts of man..."_

---

And so ends this Mammoth Story. It's obvious I used the game's script to keep this story from going horribly off-track so...yeah. Obviously, there's going to be a sequel: Toss Family Odyssey II: Symphonian Phantasia.

Chapter 1 will be out sometime in December so stay tuned!


End file.
